C  V 


ftab^rl  3F.  W.  lilfilrnmb 


TKRKE     YEA.IIS 


CHILI 


NEW    YORK: 
FOLLETT,   FOSTER  AND   COMPANY. 

J.  BRADBURN  (Sucoessob  to  M.  Doolady), 
49  Walkee  Steeet. 

1863. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

FOLLETT,  FOSTER  &  CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page 

Departure  from  New  York, 1 

Coaling  at  Kingstou,    .        .       , 2 

Its  Decay — Tropical  Scenery, 3 

Barbacoa — Mud  and  Discomfort, 4 

The  old  passage  Of'*  the  Isthmus, 5 

Drunken  Boatmeft*,       ^       .        ...        .        .        .        ,        .  6 

River  Scenery — Gorgonar,        *.   .' 7 

Granadiau  Justice,       .     '•  .        , 8 

Arrival  at'  Cruces,    .        ...       u 9 

'  CHAPTElt-  II. 

Equipping  Tdi'  the  Journey, ' 10 

Bargaining  for  M^les— The  Children, 11 

Mules  and  Mulishness,          .        . 12 

Pleasures  of  the  Passage,  /    .        . 13 

Way-side  Huts,    .        .         , 14= 

The  Perils  of  Mu              15 

The  Elephant  Hotel, 16 

Cold— The  Parrots, 17 

CHAPTER  III. 

Continuation  of  the  Journey, 18 

Inhabitants — Panama, 19 

Fine  Baths— Bishop's  Palace, 20 


IV  CONTENTS. 

Page 

The  Weather, 21 

The  City, 22 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Put  to  Sea  again, 23 

Panama  Hats— Water-Raft, 24 

Bay  of  Payta, 25 

Native  Fruits, 26 

City  of  Callao, 27 

Aquatic  Birds, 28 

Native  Wine— Chinca  Islands, 29 

CHAPTER  V. 

Anchor  in  the  Bay  of  Arica, 30 

People  and  Costumes, 31 

Saltpetre  and  Silver  Mines, 32 

Coast  Towns, 33 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Fond  Dreams  dispelled, 34 

Landing  at  Valparaiso, 35 

The  Hills— The  Almendral, 36 

Plazas — Churches, 37 

Tile— Roofing— Bamboo  Lath, 38 

Building— The  Shops, 39 

Curb-stone  Commerce, 40 

Bakers— Milkmen — Laundresses, 41 

Hotels— Earthquakes, 42 

The  Weather— Markets, 43 

Protestant  Churches— Sunday  Life, 44 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Take  possession  of  a  House, 45 

Housekeeping  Experience, 46 


CONTENTS.  V 

Page 

Domestic  Life, 47 

Want  of  Spanish, 48 

No  Fires  Permitted, 49 

The  Cemeteries, 50 

Mode  of  Burial, 51 

How  Butter  is  Preserved, 52 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

Glorious  Mornings  and  gorgeous  Sunsets, 53 

South  Wind— Fruits— Poultry, 54 

The  Opera, 55 

Flowers  of  the  Season, 56 

An  Earthquake, 57 

Varieties  of  Costume, 58 

Newspapers  in  Valparaiso, 59 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Anniversary  Festivals, 60 

Palm  Sunday— Holy  Week, 61 

Ceremonies — Processions, 62 

Services  in  the  Churches, 63 

A  Norther — Wrecks, 64 

Snowy  Mountains, .        .65 

CHAPTER  X. 

St.  Peter's  Day— His  Image, 66 

Expiation  of  Sins — Vows, 67 

The  Diez  y  Ocho, G8 

Holidays— National  Dance, 69 

Horsemanship— A  Ball, 70 

Dresses— Dancing — Christmas, 71 

Midnight  Mass— An  Execution, 72 


VI  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XL     . 

Page 

American  Enterprise — Ox-carts,      .        .        '. 73 

Start  for  Santiago, 74 

A  Posada, 75 

Incidents  of  Travel, 7G 

Farm  Scenery, 77 

Arrival  at  Santiago, 78 

City  of  Santiago, .        .79 

Tlie  Patios, .  80 

Architecture  of  Santiago, 81 

Shops— The  Cathedral, 82 

Relics — A  Country-Seat, *    .  83 

A  Fair— Sewerage— "Water- Works, Si 

Snow  Luxuries— Hospital, ^5 

Convents— The  Nuns, 86 

Capuchins— The  Cemetery, 87 

National  Institute, 88 

Public  Schools, 89 

Library— Newsp  pers, 90 

The  Canada, 91 

Celebration  of  the  Diez  y  Ocho, 92 

The  President  at  Church— A  Review, 93 

Country  People^Parade  Ground, 94 

Wealth  of  Santiago, 95 

Return  to  Valparaiso, 9C 

Over  the  Plains, 97 

Descent  of  the  Hills, 98 

The  Cuesta  Zapata, 99 

Return  to  Valparaiso, 100 

CHAPTER  XIL 

A  Great  Event  in  a  Foreigner's  Life, 101 

A  Chileno  Railroad, 102 

Villa  at  Vina  del  Mar, 103 

Celebration  of  the  Immaculate  Conception , 104 


CONTENTS.  Vii 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
•         .  Fage 

Richest  "Silver  Mine  in  the  World, 105 

Mineral  Wealth  of  Chili, lOG 

Transportation  of  Silver, 107 

Chileno  Currency,     , 108 

'  A'Chileno  CrcesuS, 109 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

A- Pleasure  Garden, 110 

•GftingtoJhePolanco, Ill 

The  Lasso— Early  Practice, 112 

Street  Curiosities, 113 

Pulperias— People— Police, 114 

Efficiency  of  the  Police,       ...*•...       115 
Dogs  of  Valparaiso, IIG 

CHAPTER  XV. 

First  Church  for  Protestant  Worship, 117 

Protestantism— Catholic  Ceremonies, 118 

The  Chileno  Priests, 119 

Indulgences— Mendicant  Friars, 120 

Chileno  Peones  at  AYork, 121 

Railroad  Bridges— Grand  Mass, 122 

Tribulations  of  the  Devout, 123 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  Pleasant  Place  for  Weak  Nerves 124 

Earthquake  Experiences, 125 

Storms— Climate, 126 

Social  Distinctions, 127 

Ladies  and  Servants, 128 

Customs  of  the  Country, 129 

Chileno  Hospitalities, 130 

Ladies'  Calls— Parental  Relations, 131 


VIU  CONTENTS. 

Page 

Chileno  Women— Social  Habits, 132 

Funerals— Gambling — Titles, 133 

Hacendados— Politeness, 134 

The  Constant  Cigar, 135 

Peones — Marriage, 136 

Peculiarities  of  the  Peones, 137 

A  Day  at  the  Pantheon, 138 

Prayers  for  the  Dead, 139 

CHAPTER  XYIL 

Weather  in  Chili, 140 

Departure  from  Valparaiso, 141 

Talcahuano-  Peon  Funeral, 142 

Unlading  Ships  by  Launches, 143 

Penco— Concepcion, 144 

Chileno  Hotel, 145 

Fruits — Agriculture, 146 

Threshing  by  Horse  Power, 147 

Immense  Crops, 148 

CHAPTER  XYIH. 

Classic  Ground, 149 

Araucanian  "Wars, 150 

Heroic  Struggles  and  Sacrifices, 151 

A  Woman  Warrior, ,        .        .        .  152 

Expulsion  of  Invaders, 153 

The  Araucanos, 154 

Terror  of  the  Chilenos 155 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Voyage  to  Boston, 156 

Sharks— Life  in  a  Calm, 157 

Land !  and  Honi^e,        .........       158 


THREE  YEARS  IN  CHILI 


CHAPTER  I. 

We  left  New  York  on  the  20th  of  July,  and  on  the 
28th  of  August  entered  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso. 

The  voyage  to  Aspinwall  was  eventless,  but  full  of 
interest  and  delight  for  us,  to  whom  this  seafaring  expe- 
rience was  an  entire  novelty.  On  the  27th  of  July,  we 
saw  Cuba ;  and  on  the  28th  we  beheld  the  mountains  of 
Jamaica,  clothed  from  sea  to  summit  with  the  perpetual 
verdure  of  sugar-fields  and  cocoa-groves.  The  day  was 
warm  and  bright,  and  we  ran  two  hours  along  the  coast, 
before  putting  into  the  bay  of  Port  Royal  —  our  vision 
feasted  now  with  the  glories  of  the  land,  and  now  with  the 
beauty  of  the  sparkUng  and  joyous  sea. 

As  you  enter  the  bay,  you  see  Port  Royal  on  the  right, 
crouching  with  low  huts  upon  the  level  sands  amid  shelter- 


2  COALING    AT  KINGSTON. 

ing  cocoa-nut  trees  ;  and  at  the  head  of  the  bay,  Kingston, 
Ijing  beneath  a  mountain  that  rises  abruptly  from  the  water, 
covered  with  dark  masses  of  vegetation,  and  looking  at 
first  glance  like  a  great  thunder-cloud  fallen  heavily  athwart 
the  sight. 

Here  we  stopped  for  coals,  and  before  we  made  fast  to 
the  dock  of  the  decaying  city,  the  water  about  the  steamer 
swarmed  with  unwonted  life  and  activity:  innumerable 
young  negroes  clove  the  waves  with  their  arms,  and  the  air 
with  their  shouts,  noisily  besieging  the  passengers  for 
money:  "One  dime,  massa!"  ''One  dime,  missus!" 
When  a  coin  was  thrown  to  them,  they  dived  through  the 
transparent  water  and  brought  it  up  with  unerring  cer- 
tainty, splashing,  sputtering,  blowing  the  brine  from  their 
faces,  and  greedily  vociferating  for  more. 

A  plank  walk  was  laid  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  to 
the  coal-yard,  and  about  one  hundred  negresses,  scantily 
attired  in  ragged  dresses  that  left  bare  the  arms  and  neck 
and  fell  only  to  the  knees,  began  the  work  of  coaling. 
Each  had  a  tub  holding  about  a  bushel,  which  she  filled, 
and  balanced  on  her  head  with  one  hand  while  she 
marched  up  the  steep  plank,  keeping  time  to  a  chanted 
refrain.     At  the  coal-hole  the  tubs  were  emptied  without 


O 

CQ 


ITS   DECAY — TROPICAL   SCENERY.  3 

being  removed  from  the  head  by  a  sudden  jerk  of  the 
neck  and  twist  of  the  body ;  and  the  women  passed  off  at 
the  other  end  of  the  ship,  in  endless  succession. 

The  hand  of  decay  lies  heavily  upon  Kingston.  The 
narrow  streets  are  filled  with  loose  sand ;  the  pavements 
are  broken,  and  the  houses  almost  universally  dilapidated. 
Nevertheless,  there  were  some  handsome  stores,  where  we 
found  the  merchants  very  poUte,  after  we  had  struggled 
through  the  crowds  of  negro  boys  who  met  us  at  every 
door  and  gate-way,  with  vociferous  invitations  to  enter. 
In  the  street,  we  saw  not  more  than  one  white  man  to  a 
hundred  black  ones,  and  the  bitterest  antipathy  seemed  to 
exist  between  the  two  races. 

Disembarking  at  Aspinwall,  on  the  31st,  with  the  usual 
scenes  of  bustle  and  confusion,  we  took  the  Panama  Rail- 
road for  Barbacoa,  twenty-three  miles  distant,  and  plunged 
suddenly  into  the  heart  of  tropic  scene.  For  a  few  miles 
from  Aspinwall,  the  road  passes  through  a  swamp  on  crib- 
work  of  logs,  filled  in  with  stone  and  earth,  with  the  water 
on  either  hand  thickly  matted  with  aquatic  plants.  Tra- 
versing this  swamp,  we  entered  a  great  forest,  magnificent 
with  gigantic  trees,  all  clambered  with  pendant,  blossomy 
vines,  and  gorgeous  with  flowers  of  every  hue.     It  was 


4  BARBACOA — MUD   AND   DISCOMFORT. 

now  the  middle  of  the  rainy  season,  when,  in  this  tropical 
land,  a  few  weeks  suffice  to  clothe  in  vivid  verdure  ever}^ 
thing  left  undisturbed.  In  one  place  near  the  road,  stood 
on  old  pile-driver,  garlanded  with  luxuriant  creepers  ;  and 
in  another,  a  dismantled  locomotive  was  dimly  discernible 
in  a  mass  of  green.  Again,  in  harsh  and  ghastly  contrast 
with  this  exuberant  vegetable  life,  the  end  of  a  coffin  pro- 
truded from  a  fallen  bank,  grimly  wreathed  with  verdure. 

After  three  hours'  travel,  we 'arrived  at  Barbacoa,  and 
quitting  the  cars,  left  behind  us  the  civilization  of  the 
North  and  found  ourselves  not  only  in  a  tropical  climate, 
amidst  tropical  scenery,  but  tropical  mud,  discomfort,  and 
squalor. 

Barbacoa  stands  on  the  bank  of  the  Chagres  River — a 
few  bamboo  huts,  with  a  hotel  distinguished  by  weather- 
boarding  from  the  rest.  We  stopped  at  this  hostelry  for 
refreshments — taking  our  way  from  the  cars  to  the  house, 
over  a  path  of  what  seemed  grass,  but  was  really  the  del- 
icate and  beautiful  sensitive-plant,  that  shrank  fearfully 
from  the  feet  falling  upon  its  tender  leaves. 

The  place  was  full  of  Californians  returning  to  the 
States,  who  gave  us  terrible  accounts  of  the  roads  before 
us — for  we  were  to  take  boats  to  Cruces,  and  thence 
struggle  on  with  mules  to  Panama,  hy  mud. 


THE   OLD   PASSAGE   OF  THE  ISTHMUS.  6 

The  railroad  between  Aspinwall  and  Panama  has  long 
been  completed,  and  the  perils  and  perplexities  of  the  old- 
fashioned  passage  of  the  Isthmus  are  historical,  rather 
than  actual.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  their  becom- 
ing 

'•  Portions  and  parcels  of  the  dreadful  past," 

has  invested  them  with  any  tender  hues  of  romance. 
They  remain  in  my  mind  to  this  day  a  harsh  reality  of 
mud,  deprivation,  and  affliction.  I  recount  them  with  the 
sole  consolation  that  for  me  they  are  past  forever,  and  that 
no  one  hereafter  will  encounter  them.  Only,  dear  reader, 
as  you  are  w^hirled  along  by  steam  over  a  passage  memo- 
rable with  direful  struggles,  bestow  a  sigh  upon  the  hard- 
ships of  pre-railroad  travelers ! 

At  the  inn  of  Barbacoa  we  remained  two  hours,  pro- 
visioning and  bargaining  for  boats.  When  at  last  our 
arrangements  w^ere  completed,  we  made  our  way  through 
the  town,  and  clambered  down  the  steep  muddy  banks  of 
the  river  to  the  water's  edge,  where  we  found  about  two 
hundred  others,  trying  to  embark,  and  mingling  their 
tumult  with  the  cries  of  the  boatmen,  who  were  shrieking 
loud  demands  of  '^Homhre,  acqui!^^  on  every  hand.  With 
o;reat  ado,  a  score  of  us  succeeded  in  seating  ourselves  in  a 


<n'L 


6  DRUNKEN  BOATMEN. 

boat  twenty  feet  in  length — roofed,  and  with  canvas  at 
the  sides,  to  be  let  down  in  case  of  rain.  Our  baggage 
was  carried  in  the  same  boat,  and  served  for  seats ;  and 
then  we  had  a  captain,  or  steersman,  and  six  boatmen,  who 
propelled  our  craft  keel-boat  fashion,  by  setting  poles 
against  the  river  bottom,  and  walking  from  the  bow  to  the 
stern  of  the  boat,  on  a  narrow  plank  at  either  side.  The 
greater  part  of  the  boats  on  the  river  were  of  this  sort — 
some  being  distinguished  by  a  red  flag  fluttering  at  the  stern. 
The  scene  was  rather  pretty  as  a  number  of  them  pushed 
from  the  shore,  into  the  middle  of  the  river,  with  their  gay 
bannerols  waving,  and  freighted  with  men,  women  and 
children  in  various  costumes. 

Our  boatmen  were  great  brawny  fellows  (naked  but 
for  a  hat,  and  a  piece  of  cloth  girt  about  the  loins),  who 
accompanied  every  impulse  of  their  poles  with  a  deep 
sonorous  grunt.  We  had  not  gone  far,  when  we  discovered 
that  two  of  them  were  drunk ;  and  presently  one  of  them 
tumbled  into  the  river.  The  current  ran  very  rapidly, 
and  we  feared  that  the  tipsy  hombre  was  lost,  when  he 
came  to  the  surface,  and  swimming  after  the  boat,  clamb- 
ered in,  only  to  make  a  second  involuntary  plunge,  which 
sobered  him. 


RIVER  SCENERY — GORGONA.  1 

On  the  banks  of  the  river,  \Thich  rose  to  a  height  of 
from  four  to  twenty  feet,  we  saw  occasional  patches  of 
corn,  and  now  and  then  a  few  cattle,  and  bamboo  huts ; 
but,  for  the  most  part,  the  view  w^as  shut  off  by  impene- 
trable growths  of  trees,  and  interlacing  vines  and  shrubs, 
through  which  a  man  could  scarcely  have  hewn  his  way 
with  an  axe. 

The  afternoon  was  one  of  intense  enjoyment  to  me  ;  my 
eyes  never  wearied  of  the  novel  and  ever- changing  land- 
scape, and  the  rich  and  beautiful  forms  of  vegetation.  At 
half-past  five  we  rounded  to  in  front  of  Gorgona,  a  town 
then  consisting  of  about  forty  bamboo  huts,  with  a  plaza 
and  a  populace  enlivened  by  a  mimic  bull-fight.  Here 
our  captain  declared  that  his  men  must  have  something  to 
eat,  and  the  gentlemen  of  our  party  going  in  search  of 
food,  returned  with  a  dozen  slices  of  ham  and  ten  hard- 
boiled  eggs — the  only  provisions  to  be  had  in  all  Gorgona. 
After  an  hour's  delay  we  pushed  ofi*,  and  ascending  the 
stream  to  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  our  boatmen  again 
ran  the  boat  ashore,  sprang  out,  struck  a  pole  in  the  ground, 
made  the  boat  fast,  and,  before  we  had  time  to  think, 
plunged  into  the  bushes  and  disappeared.  It  was  now 
growing  dark ;  no  other  boat  was  in  sight ;   none  of  us 


8  GRANADIAN   JUSTICE. 

could  speak  the  language  of  the  country  ;  and  all  the  tales 
of  robbery  and  murder  that  we  had  ever  heard,  occurred 
to  us,  and  some,  at  least,  felt  very  uncomfortable.  A 
party  of  the  gentlemen  went  ashore  to  the  Alcalde,  to 
learn,  if  possible,  the  reason  of  our  detention,  and  were 
told  that  it  was  unlawful  for  any  boat  to  navigate  the  river 
during  the  night.  I  was  afterward  told  that  a  few 
months  previous,  a  boat  striking  a  snag  was  wrecked,  and 
the  passengers  were  drowned.  The  homhres  were  promptly 
arrested,  tried,  and  shot  for  murder.  On  the  following 
day,  we  ourselves  found  that  it  would  have  been  impossible 
to  proceed  in  a  dark  night,  for  the  river  was  fall  of  snags 
and  sand-bars. 

All  the  boats  that  had  left  Barbacoa  with  us,  had  been 
made  fast  along  the  shore  at  Gorgona,  and  discovering 
that  we  were  not  entirely  alone,  we  set  about  rendering 
ourselves  as  comfortable  as  possible.  A  boat  load  of  pas- 
sengers, with  the  mails,  tied  up  alongside,  and  the  mail 
agent  offered  our  gentlemen  beds  on  the  letter-bags,  and 
left  us  more  room.  From  the  other  boat,  we  borrowed  a 
candle  and  three  matches,  to  be  used  in  case  of  necessity. 
The  night  was  very  dark  ;  a  steady  rain  began  to  fall,  and 
we  crouched  down  upon  our  baggage,  very  hungry,  weary, 


ARRIVAL   AT   CRUCES.  9 

and  miserable  creatures.  After  awhile  the  children  be- 
came uneasy,  and  we  all  suffered  agonizing  suspense  while 
the  attempt  was  made  to  light  the  candle.  Two  of  the 
matches  proved  dead  failures ;  but  the  third  was  a  success. 
This  excitement  subsided,  and  I  slept  until  roused  by  a 
crackling  noise  under  my  feet.  On  examination  I  found 
that  I  was  trampling  on  mj  bonnet,  which  had  dropped 
from  my  head.  The  comfortless  night  at  last  wore  away, 
and  at  daylight  our  boatmen  returned  and  put  our  boat  in 
motion.  At  nine  o'clock  we  reached  Cruces,  where  the 
noisy  scenes  of  the  embarkation  were  repeated.  Three 
men  siezed  the  three  small  children  of  our  party,  with  the 
announcement  of  "  Me  picaninny  Panama,"  and  following 
their  guidance,  w^e  ascended  a  slippery  bank,  and  made 
our  way  between  two  rows  of  huts,  through  a  street  ankle- 
deep  in  mud  and  filth,  swarming  with  pigs,  poultry,  don- 
keys, and  children,  to  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  where  our 
martyrdom  was  consummated  with  a  breakfast,  which  was 
the  very  abomination  of  indigestion. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Our  journey  by  water  was  now  ended,  but  our  troubles 
by  land  lay  all  before  us.  They  began  with  the  exchange 
of  our  traveling  dresses  for  pantaloons,  with  short  skirts 
and  heavy  boots.  Thus  equipped,  with  bonnets  on  our 
heads  and  coats  on  our  backs,  the  question  of  sex  was 
terribly  vexed  by  our  appearance.  We  all  laughed,  of 
course,  at  the  ridiculous  figures  we  cut ;  but  we  were 
rather  shy  of  showing  ourselves  in  the  novel  guise,  until, 
going  down  stairs  and  rejoining  the  company,  we  found  a 
great  many  other  ladies  in  apparel  far  more  astonishing 
than  ours. 

A  Spanish  gentleman  who  had  accompanied  us  from 
New  York,  and  who  fortunately  spoke  English,  made  bar- 
gains for  us  with  the  muleteers.  Some  forty  mules  of 
different  sizes,  of  different  degrees  of  incapability,  and  all 
incredibly  bruised  and  beaten,  were  paraded  before  the 
door  of  the  hotel,  where  we  selected  the  requisite  number 


BARGAINING   FOR  MULES — THE   CHILDREN.  11 

from  the  best,  paying  ten  dollars  for  each  mule,  and  eleven 
cents  a  pound  for  the  transportation  of  our  baggage.  I 
had  brought  a  side-saddle  from  home,  but  when  I  put  it 
on  my  mule,  it  left  nothing  of  him  visible  but  his  head  and 
tail ;  so  I  exchanged  it  for  another  mule.  Each  lady  of 
our  party  selected  as  smart  and  sound  an  animal  as  possi- 
ble, and  then  throwing  her  shawls  upon  the  rude  wooden 
saddle,  mounted  en  cavalier,  and  sidled  out  of  the  crowd, 
in  the  direction  of  a  green  tree  standing  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town,  which  was  to  be  our  rendezvous. 

The  usual  arrangements  for  the  transportation  of  the 
children  had  been  made.  Natives,  for  eight  dollars 
apiece,  had  been  hired  to  carry  them  ;  and  they  now  shoul 
dered  their  burdens  and  started  off — the  children  scream- 
ing with  the  full  power  of  their  lungs.  It  is  a  sore  trial 
for  mothers  to  intrust  their  little  ones  to  these  great  sav- 
ages, who,  taking  by-paths  through  the  bushes,  are  often 
out  of  sight  for  hours.  They  usually  carry  the  children 
safely,  but  there  have  been  instances  of  drunkenness  among 
them,  when  they  left  their  charges  in  the  road. 

We  did  not  quit  our  place  of  rendezvous  without  a 
number  of  amusing  accidents.  A  French  milliner  of  Pan- 
ama, returning  with  goods  from  Kew  York,  was  mounted 


12  MULES    AND   MULISHNESS. 

on  a  spirited  animal,  that  in  spite  of  all  her  endearing 
caresses  and  appeals  to  his  generosity,  persisted  in  running 
away  Avith  her  through  the  bushes,  to  the  imminent  peril 
of  her  neck,  and  was  only  prevailed  upon  to  stop  with 
great  difficulty.  Another  lady  lost  her  balance  with  the 
first  movement  of  her  mule,  and  dashed  wildly  from  her 
perch  into  the  mud.  She  was  not  hurt,  and  as  this  was 
her  first  experience  on  mule-back,  she  repeated  the  same 
interesting  performance  five  times  during  the  day.  One 
of  the  gentlemen  went  back  to  the  hotel  for  something 
that  had  been  left,  and  his  mule  absolutely  refused  to  set 
forth  again.  At  length  our  friend  made  his  appearance, 
the  mule  disputing  every  inch  of  the  ground,  with  one 
native  tugging  at  the  bridle,  another  pushing  in  the  rear, 
and  the  rider  indiscriminately  belaboring  all  parts  of  his 
body.  It  is  only  after  a  long  acquaintance  with  this  ani- 
mal that  one  understands  the  term  7nulish  in  all  its  pro- 
found significance. 

At  our  rendezvous  a  number  of  pack-mules  were  col- 
lected, each  laden  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  in 
two  packages,  piled  high  on  either  side.  They  carry  enor- 
mous trunks  in  this  way ;  but  sometimes  small  and  feeble 
animals  stagger  and  fall  beneath  their  burdens,  and  in 


PLEASURES  OF  THE  PASSAGE.  13 

their  frantic  efforts  to  rise,  roll  backward  and  forward 
two  or  three  times,  before  regaining  their  feet.  Leaving 
our  station- tree,  we  plunged  at  once  into  yellow  clay  two 
feet  deep,  and  the  mules  knowing  too  well  the  hardships 
before  them,  at  first  refused  to  proceed,  and  it  required  the 
most  desperate  exertions  to  put  them  in  motion.  When 
once  in  motion,  however,  these  creatures,  if  nature  held 
out,  would  be  perpetual  motions.  It  is  as  hard  to  stop 
them  as  to  start  them. 

It  was  now  noon.  AVe  started  sinde  file  —  first  throujxh 
mud,  then  through  bushes,  then  into  narrow  defiles  from 
three  to  twenty  feet  deep,  where  two  mules  could  not  pass, 
and  where  constant  care  alone  preserved  our  feet  from 
being  bruised  against  the  rocks  on  either  side.  At  times 
we  turned  angles  so  sharp,  that  we  could  not  see  ten  feet 
ahead  ;  emerging  upon  a  short  level,  to  commence  so  steep 
an  ascent  that  we  had  to  clasp  our  mules'  necks,  to  keep 
from  sUding  off  backward; — a  moment  for  breath,  and 
then  down,  down  through  gorges  of  loose  rocks  and  water 
where  foothold  seemed  impossible.  But  giving  our  mules 
their  heads,  they  put  their  noses  to  the  ground  to  ascer- 
tain if  there  was  safe  footing,  then  put  down  one  cautious 
foot  after  the  other,  and  safely  accomplished  the  descent. 


14  WAY-SIDE  HUTS. 

never  stumbling  once.  Now  and  then  we  came  to  the 
trunk  of  a  tree  across  our  path,  three  feet  in  diameter,  but 
the  mules  surmounted  this  obstacle  without  trouble.  All 
these  exercises  were  amusingly  varied  by  the  passage  of 
mud,  and  mudholes  filled  with  loose  stones,  in  which  the 
traveler  floundered  desperately,  till  the  mule  sank  beneath 
him,  and  it  only  remained  for  him  to  dismount,  and  drag 
out  his  beast. 

We  had  not  seen  the  children  now  since  we  started ; 
but  on  arriving  at  a  way-side  hut,  we  found  them  at  play, 
perfectly  safe  and  happy.  These  huts  are  merely  thatch- 
ed roofs  sustained  by  four  posts.  The  residents  usually 
supplied  travelers  with  refreshments,  such  as  poor  claret, 
ham,  yams,  and  bread. 

Although  we  had  left  Cruces  too  late  in  the  day  to  ex- 
pect to  reach  Panama  that  night,  w^e  determined  to  push 
on  as  far  as  possible.  As  twilight  approached,  however, 
we  began  to  look  anxiously  for  some  place  to  pass  the 
night.  In  most  parts  of  the  United  States,  we  could  have 
camped  out  for  the  night,  but  here  every  inch  of  ground, 
except  the  narrow  foot-way,  was  covered  with  an  impene- 
trable mass  of  trees  and  plants,  that  would  have  baffled 
all  attempts  at  a  bivouac.     We  paused  a  moment  in  front 


THE   PERILS   OF  MUD.  16 

of  a  hut  on  the  summit  of  a  hill,  but  were  decided  to  move 
on  by  the  aspect  of  a  crowd  of  unwholesome  and  forbid- 
ding natives  about  the  door.  After  two  miles'  farther 
travel,  we  came  in  sight  of  another  house,  likewise  set 
on  a  hill,  and  here  our  complete  exhaustion  determined  us 
to  remain.  It  was  already  growing  dark,  and  between 
us  and  our  goal  stretched  a  vast  sea  of  mud ;  our  hearts 
sunk,  and  the  beasts  that  we  bestrode  sunk  too.  On  our 
right,  an  unfortunate  mule  had  been  mired,  and  had  died 
standing,  and  now  with  a  plumptitude  of  body  that  he  had 
never  known  in  life,  glared  horribly  at  us  out  of  his  dead 
eyes ;  in  front  of  us,  three  pack-mules  had  fallen,  and  in 
their  efforts,  rolled  over  and  over,  until  they  were  covered 
and  blinded  with  mud,  while  their  inhuman  drivers  stood 
over  them,  inciting  them  to  new  exertions  with  kicks, 
blows  and  yells.  I  felt  a  calm  conviction  that  we  were  to 
be  swallowed  up  in  this  miry  sea ;  but  not  to  attempt  the 
passage,  seemed  equally  fatal.  So  we  plunged  in,  and 
after  prodigious  and  incredible  efforts,  our  reeking  mules 
dragged  us  to  the  door  of  the  house,  where  we  women, 
more  dead  than  alive,  were  lifted  off — to  find  the  children 
safe,  and  five  companions  in  misfortune,  awaiting  us. 
This  house,  which  bore  the  cruelly  significant  name  of 


16  THE    ELEPHANT   HOTEL. 

the  Elephant  JTotel,  was  a  large  inclosure  of  bamboo 
poles,  driven  closely  together  into  the  earth,  and  fastened 
at  the  top,  with  withes  of  bark,  roofed  with  canvas,  open 
at  the  gable  ends,  and  divided  into  kitchen,  dining-room, 
and  two  dormitories.  In  one  of  these  latter,  which  was 
very  large,  was  a  row  of  beds :  that  is,  pieces  of  sacking 
fastened  to  upright  poles,  and  rising  one  above  the  other, 
in  three  tiers,  to  the  roof.  Beside  these  beds  there  were 
some  movable  cots.  On  a  large  piece  of  canvas  stretch- 
ed across  an  opening  in  front  of  the  hotel,  the  symbolic 
animal  from  which  the  house  was  named,  was  rudely 
sketched  in  outline. 

After  a  passable  supper  of  mutton,  beans,  bread  and 
coiFee,  Ave  retired  —  the  women  replacing  their  muddy 
garments  with  dry  dresses ;  and  the  wretched  gentlemen 
of  our  party  lying  down  in  their  muddy  clothes  —  afraid 
to  remove  even  their  boots,  lest  they  should  refuse  to  "go 
on"  in  the  morning.  We  used  our  shawls  for  bedding, 
and  in  this  room  we  all  slept,  men,  women,  children  and 
muleteers.  Long  before  this,  we  had  found  that  necessity 
knows  no  law. 

The  night  was  cold  and  damp,  the  wind  whistled  through 
the  crevices  of  the  Elephant^  our  covering  was  insufficient, 


COLD — THE  PARROTS.  17 

and  so,  within  eight  degrees  of  the  equator,  we  shivered 
till  daylight,  when  we  were  roused  from  the  drowsy  tor- 
por into  which  we  had  fallen  by  the  screams  of  myriads 
of  parrots,  and  rose,  weary,  wretched  and  sore, — break- 
fasted, and  made  ready  for  another  day  of  horrors. 


CHAPTER  III. 

We  had  yet  a  ride  of  thirteen  miles  before  us.  As  we 
set  forth,  the  first  gentleman  who  mounted,  stuck  fast  in 
the  mud,  within  ten  feet  of  the  door,  and  was  obliged  to 
dismount  before  the  mule  could  extricate  himself. 

Our  path  now  lay  through  uplands,  where  we  mounted 
steep  acclivities,  and  threaded  dark  ravines,  under  lofty, 
over-arching  trees,  between  the  boughs  of  which  the  deep 
azure  of  the  sky  was  dimly  visible.  In  these  rocky  hills, 
the  muleteer,  as  he  approaches  the  entrance  of  each  of  the 
narrow  gorges,  utters  a  shrill  cry  to  know  if  there  are 
others  in  the  passage  ;  receiving  no  response,  he  proceeds. 
The  small  rapid  streams  became  more  numerous,  and  the 
country  more  hilly,  with  a  delightful  vista  opening  here 
and  there,  of  sky,  and  trees,  and  water.  Some  of  the 
acclivities  have  been  traveled  so  many  years,  that  the 
mules  have  worn,  with  their  hoofs,  footholds  in  the  solid 
rock  more  than  twelve  inches  in  depth.     Occasionally, 


INHABITANTS — PANAMA.  19 

we  passed  over  several  rods  together  of  the  paved  road 
said  to  have  been  constructed  by  the  buccaneers. 

Of  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  we  saw  more  women 
than  men.  The  dress  of  the  former  usually  consisted  of 
a  flounced  muslin  or  calico  gown,  low  in  the  neck,  with 
a  white  cape  ruflled  or  trimmed  with  lace,  leaving  the 
shoulders  and  arms  entirely  bare.  They  lounged  about 
the  doors  of  their  huts,  and  sat  on  low  stools,  with  their 
wide  skirts  spread  upon  the  ground.  The  men  wore 
nothing  but  a  shirt,  though  occasionally  we  met  one  with 
an  unusually  keen  sense  of  the  proprieties,  who  carried 
a  pair  of  pantaloons  on  his  shoulder,  to  be  put  on  before 
entering  the  city. 

The  road,  as  we  neared  Panama,  grew  worse  and  worse, 
and  we  were  fearfully  fatigued,  while  the  children's  faces 
were  blistered  by  the  sun,  and  their  limbs  galled  by  the 
hot  hands  of  the  men  who  carried  them.  At  last,  plod- 
ding wearily  on,  we  climbed  a  httle  eminence,  and  caught 
a  glimpse,  in  the  distance,  of  the  white  spires  of  Panama, 
and  the  blue  waters  of  the  Pacific,  the  city  and  the  ocean, 
the  sight  of  which  had  gladdened  so  many  weary  hearts, 
in  our  own  time,  and  in  the  centuries  past.  We  were  met 
here  by  several  men  on  horseback,  who  proclaimed  to  us 


20 


the  virtues  and  advantages  of  the  different  hotels,  for 
which  they  were  agents ;  but  our  hearts  were  won  by  a 
magnificently  mounted  gentleman,  who  announced  him- 
self as  the  proprietor  of  the  American  Hotel,  and  gave 
us  the  splendid  assurance  that  his  house  was  not  only 
the  best  in  the  city,  in  all  respects,  but  added  the  luxu- 
ry of  fine  baths  to  its  other  comforts.  Passing  between 
rows  of  squalid  huts,  inclosed  with  cactus,  and  on  by  the 
ruins  of  an  old  church,  with  its  obelisks  of  masonry, 
crosses  and  images,  we  crossed  several  stone  bridges,  and 
entered  at  the  eastern  gate  of  Panama,  and  all  bowed 
with  fatigue,  and  dripping  with  mud,  arrived  at  the  portal 
of  the  American  Hotel.  The  idea  of  baths,  and  conse- 
quent cleanliness,  had  taken  such  firm  hold  in  our  diseased 
imaginations,  that  we  had  hardly  entered  the  room  assign- 
ed to  us,  before  we  demanded  them.  In  compliance  with 
our  request,  a  native,  with  the  most  imposing  dignity,  and 
an  air  of  self-satisfaction  that  plainly  demanded,  "  What 
more  could  you  desire  ? "  brought  us  a  half  barrel  of 
water,  and  set  it  down  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

This  hotel,  in  the  palmy  days  of  Panama,  was  the 
Bishop's  palace.  It  is  a  large  three-story  house,  built 
of  bricks  brought  from  Spain,  and  roofed  with  tile.     The 


THE   WEATHER.  21 

two  upper  stories  are  surrounded  with  corridors,  on  which 
all  the  doors  open.  The  building  is  floored  throughout  with 
square  tile. 

The  weather  was  very  hot  and  rainy ;  one  moment  the 
sun  shone  fiercely,  and  the  next,  the  rain  flooded  the 
streets,  that  smoked  like  a  vapor-bath  when  the  sun  shone 
again.  The  house-tops,  the  edges  of  the  pavements,  and 
every  place  not  constantly  trodden  upon,  teemed  with 
vegetation,  plants  and  mosses,  all  alive  with  lizards.  We 
were  cautioned  to  look  into  our  shoes  before  putting  them 
on  in  the  morning,  lest  there  should  be  scorpions  in  them, 
and  always  remembered  the  caution — just  after  tying 
them. 

To  describe  Panama  to  American  readers,  would  be 
like  describing  New  York  or  Boston,  or  any  other  city 
with  which  we  are  familiar.  During  our  brief  sojourn  we 
"  did"  its  most  interesting  features  —  the  cathedral,  built 
of  brick,  and  decorated  within  in  the  worst  style  —  where 
we  saw  among  other  figures  that  of  the  Virgin  habited  in 
a  short  tarletan  dress,  and  looking  like  a  ballet-dancer ; 
the  promenade  on  the  sea-wall,  with  its  dismounted  guns, 
overlooking  the  bay  and  islands ;  the  innumerable  bells 
of  the  churches,  all  cracked,  and  beaten  with  hammers 


22  THE   CITY. 


instead  of  being  rung.  The  oitj  is  walled ;  the  streets 
are  narrow ;  and  the  houses  of  brick,  whitewashed,  with 
the  second  story  projecting  over  the  sidewalks ;  thej  are 
all  roofed  and  floored  with  tile. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  we  put  to  sea  once  more,  on 
board  the  iron  steamer  "Bolivia,"  with  every  prospect 
of  a  pleasant  voyage.  On  the  10th,  we  crossed  the 
equatorial  line,  wearing  our  blanket-shawls  all  day,  and 
sitting  close  to  the  chimneys  to  keep  warm.  On  the  11th, 
we  ran  up  the  Guayaquil  River,  in  Ecuador,  and  anchor- 
ed at  the  city  of  the  same  name,  forty  miles  from  the  sea. 
The  river  is  a  broad,  noble  stream,  between  one  and  two 
miles  wide.  Its  banks  are  clothed  with  a  dense  forest  of 
stately  trees,  among  which  I  noticed  the  ebony-tree,  cov- 
ered with  yellow  blossoms. 

The  city  of  Guayaquil  looks  well  from  the  anchorage, 
but  on  landing,  we  found  it  hke  all  other  Spanish-Ameri- 
can cities.  The  streets  are  narrow,  and  the  houses  are 
built  of  wood  framed  into  posts  of  Ugnumvitce,  planted 
firmly  in  the  ground.  This  mode  of  building  has  been 
found  by  experience  to  be  the  most  secure  against  injury 


24  PANAMA  HATS — WATER-RAFT. 

by  earthquakes,  as  the  houses  will  shake  without  falling. 
The  heat  was  excessive.  In  the  market  we  found  most 
of  our  summer  vegetables,  and  many  tropical  vegetables 
besides.  The  cacao-bean,  from  which  chocolate  is  made, 
forms  one  of  the  principal  exports.  Guayaquil  is  also 
the  great  depot  for  Panama  hats,  eight  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  being  sold  annually.  The  grass  of  which 
they  are  made,  is  found  chiefly  in  the  neighboring  prov- 
ince of  San  Cristoval.  They  can  be  braided  only  in  the 
night  or  early  morning,  as  the  heat  in  the  daytime  ren- 
ders the  grass  brittle.  It  takes  a  native  about  three 
months  to  braid  one  of  the  finest  quality,  and  I  saw  some 
hats  which  looked  like  fine  linen,  and  were  valued  at  fifty 
dollars  apiece,  even  here. 

At  Guayaquil  we  took  on  a  supply  of  water,  which  was 
furnished  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  the  country.  An  im- 
mense raft,  made  of  bolsa-logs  (a  light,  porous  wood), 
came  alongside ;  its  whole  space  (except  one  corner  occu- 
pied by  a  little  thatched  hut)  covered  by  carrot-shaped 
earthen  jars,  containing  each  about  eighteen  gallons  of 
water.  These  jars  were  brought  one  by  one,  and  emptied 
into  the  steamer's  tanks. 

We  left  the  city  at  four  the  same  afternoon,  and  rap- 


BAT   OF   PAYTA.  25 

idly  descended  the  river,  with  steam  and  tide.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  Guayaquil  lies  the  island  of  Pima,  on  which 
Pizarro  landed  before  invading  Peru.  On  the  morning  of 
the  13th,  we  passed  Tumbez,  the  first  point  on  the  Pe- 
ruvian coast,  and  at  one  o'clock  stood  off  Cape  Blanco,  a 
bold,  sandy  promontory,  with  the  breakers  dashing  high 
upon  it ;  at  five  we  were  abreast  of  Cape  Perina,  the  most 
westerly  point  of  South  America,  and  at  nine  we  anchored 
in  the  Bay  of  Payta.  The  town  is  a  cluster  of  miserable 
bamboo  huts  containing  about  fifteen  hundred  souls,  of  whom 
the  greater  part  are  Indians.  Water  is  brought  thither  a 
distance  of  twenty-five  miles,  on  the  backs  of  mules,  and  not 
a  blade  of  grass  grows  in  all  the  barren  land  about; 
all  vegetables  are  brought  from  Pima,  a  fertile  valley, 
twenty  miles  from  Payta.  These  vegetables,  and  the  fruits, 
are  of  good  quality.  There  are  two  kinds  of  sweet-pota- 
toes— the  white  and  purple,  which  are  large,  round,  and 
much  sweeter  than  those  of  the  United  States.  Here 
they  have  also  yelbw  Irish  potatoes,  which  are  excellent, 
but  which  degenerate  in  quality  elsewhere,  after  the  first 
crop.  The  fruits  are  apples,  peaches,  lemons  (sweet  and 
sour),  melons,  pomegranates,  cherimayas,  granadillas,  pal- 
tas,  and  many  others  of  intertropical  growth.     The  sweet 


26  NATIVE   TRUITS. 

lemon  was  round,  and  to  me  was  quite  tasteless.  The 
cherimaja  is  considered  the  best  fruit  of  South  America. 
The  tree  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  and  is  of 
slow  growth.  The  blossoms  are  small,  white  and  fragrant. 
The  fruit  is  heart-shaped,  and  grows  from  two  to  five 
inches  in  diameter — I  have  seen  some  specimens  measur- 
ing over  six  inches.  When  ripe,  the  skin  is  tough,  not 
very  thick,  brownish-yellow  in  color,  and  covered  with  a 
scaly  net-work.  The  pulp  is  something  of  the  consistence 
of  baked  custard,  yellow-white,  with  a  number  of  brown 
seeds  in  the  centre.  The  flavor  of  the  cherimaya  has  been 
likened  to  that  of  strawberries  and  cream,  but  this  I  think 
an  exaggeration.  Varieties  differ  as  widely  in  taste  as 
apples.  The  palta  (sometimes  called  alligator-pear  by 
foreigners)  grows  upon  a  tall,  slender  tree,  and  is  of  a 
brownish-green  color,  about  as  large  as  a  goose  egg,  and 
pear-shaped.  The  pulp  is  greenish-yellow,  and  melts  up- 
on the  tongue  like  marrow.  Some  persons  become  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  it,  but  the  taste  was  always  very  offensive  to 
me.  The  granadilla  is  the  fruit  of  a  species  of  the  passion- 
flower ;  it  is  egg-shaped,  with  a  thick,  reddish-yellow  skin  ; 
the  pulp,  which  is  pleasantly  acid,  is  filled  with  numerous 
seeds. 


CITY   OF   CALLAO.  27 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  18th  we  arrived  at  Callao, 
another  Peruvian  town — a  dreary,  uninviting  place,  with 
flat,  one-story  houses,  built  of  canes,  and  plastered  on  the 
outside.  The  narrow  streets  intersect  at  right  angles,  and 
are  filled  almost  to  suffocation  with  dirt  and  dust,  which 
the  fine  winter  mists  (for  it  never  rains  here)  convert  into 
impassable  mire. 

Old  Callao,  which  stood  farther  out  on  the  point  than 
the  present  town,  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  and  the 
sea,  in  1746,  when  four  thousand  lives  were  lost,  and  many 
of  the  vessels  in  the  harbor  were  borne  far  inland  by  the 
invading  ocean.  Some  of  the  ruins  of  the  devoted  city 
are  still  visible. 

The  new  town  wears  an  air  of  almost  northern  bustle 
and  activity.  Uninjured  by  the  skies  of  this  rainless 
clime,  vast  piles  of  wheat  (containing  from  ten  to  fifteen 
thousand  bushels)  lie  uncovered  upon  the  mole ;  and 
the  streets  are  thronged  by  water-carriers,  venders  of 
fruits  and  dulces  (the  generic  name  in  Spanish  for  sweet- 
meats), sailors,  boatmen,  and  troops  of  freight-donkeys ; 
so  that  it  was  only  with  great  dexterity  and  alertness  that 
we  made  our  way  through  the  confusion,  redolent  with  all 
the  smells  of  garlic-fed  squalor. 


28  AQUATIC   BIRDS. 

There  is  a  railroad  between  Callao  and  Lima  (a  distance 
of  six  miles),  on  which  trains  make  half-hourly  trips. 
This  road  is  owned  by  three  persons,  whose  daily  income 
from  it  is  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars. 

Aquatic  birds,  pelicans,  boobies,  gulls,  cape-pigeons,  and 
others,  abounded  in  such  numbers  that  they  fairly  darkened 
the  air,  flying,  screaming,  and  darting  for  fish.  The  peli- 
can diverted  us  greatly.  Plunging  into  the  sea,  he  would 
emerge  with  his  great  pouch  full  of  fish — usually  the  tails 
of  three  or  four  protruding — when  another  kind  of  bird 
which  was  hovering  in  wait,  gave  chase,  and  seldom  failed 
in  snatching  part  of  the  pelican's  booty.  I  had  often  mar- 
veled at  the  immense  deposits  of  guano,  but  after  seeing 
the  myriads  of  birds  on  this  coast,  I  ceased  to  wonder. 
It  is  a  fine  of  twenty-five  dollars  to  kill  one  of  these  birds, 
or  even  to  discharge  a  gun  in  Callao  Bay,  or  at  the  Chin- 
ch a  Islands. 

At  two  o'clock  we  left  our  steamer,  and  taking  passage 
on  a  much  larger  and  better  one,  put  to  sea  again.  I 
deeply  regretted  our  inability  to  visit  Lima,  the  city  of  so 
many  historic  associations,  and  the  burial-place  of  Pizar- 
ro,  whose  remains  are  still  to  be  seen  underneath  the  lofty 
altar  of  the  ojreat  cathedral. 


NATIVE  WINE — CHINCHA  ISLANDS.        29 

By  the  morning  of  the  19th  we  had  made  the  port  of 
Pisco — a  pretty  town  near  a  valley,  teeming  with  vege- 
tation, where  the  best  oranges  on  the  Pacific  coast  are 
grown.  They  are  large,  luscious  and  cheap — we  bought 
three  hundred  for  two  dollars. 

Large  quantities  of  wine  and  rum  are  made  here,  and 
sent  to  Callao  and  other  ports  along  the  coast.  They  dis- 
til also  a  pure  aromatic  liquor  from  the  Italian  grape, 
called  Italia  de  Pisco.  It  is  put  up  in  carrot-shaped 
earthen  jars,  each  holding  about  three  gallons — and  is 
much  esteemed  by  connoisseurs  of  good  liquor — making, 
it  is  said,  a  delicious  punch. 

The  Chincha  Islands,  three  in  number,  lie  ten  miles  off" 
in  a  north-western  direction  from  Pisco.  Not  a  green 
thing  grows  on  all  their  vast  extent  and  depth  of  fertiliz- 
ing guano,  which  restores  life  and  vigor  to  so  many  thou- 
sands of  exhausted  acres. 

Passing  out  of  the  bay  to  the  south,  our  attention  was 
arrested  by  a  curiously-shaped  cross,  apparently  made  of 
light-colored  stones,  set  in  the  sloping  rock  of  the  cliff, 
and  some  two  hundred  feet  from  top  to  bottom.  It  com- 
memorates an  affair  between  the  Spaniards  and  Indians  in 
the  old  times,  and  is  a  place  of  annual  solemnities  with 
the  devout,  led  thither  by  the  priests. 


CHAPTER  V. 

At  seven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  22d,  we  an- 
chored in  the  Bay  of  Arica.  The  present  town  lies  close 
to  the  beach,  at  the  foot  of  a  bluff.  As  seen  from  the 
steamer,  it  looked  very  prettily;  but  its  charms  did  not 
stand  the  test  of  a  sultry  walk  through  narrow,  dusty 
streets,  in  the  glare  of  whitewashed  walls.  A  small  stream 
from  the  valley  of  Azapa  supplies  the  inhabitants  and  ship- 
ping with  drinking-water. 

Enclosed,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  town,  is  a  burial- 
ground  of  the  ancient  Peruvians,  but  most  of  the  graves 
have  been  violated  by  foreigners,  and  sacrilegious  curiosity 
has  spared  few  of  the  bodies,  which  the  dry  air  and  nitrous 
soil  preserved  for  centuries. 

Arica  has  been  twice  almost  destroyed  by  earthquakes, 
attacked  twice  by  buccaneers,  and  once  nearly  desolated 
by  revolutionary  struggles. 

Vegetables,  fruits,  and  even  flowers  are  largely  export- 


PEOPLE   AND    COSTUMES.  31 

ed.  The  dealers  are  women,  one  of  whom  accompanied 
us  to  Valparaiso,  trading  at  every  port.  The  women  of 
this  coast  are  much  superior  to  the  men  in  point  of  intel- 
lect, activity,  and  what  we  should  call  go-ahead-ativeness. 
The  people  are  of  all  shades  of  color,  ^-om  dark  brown  to 
white,  with  high  cheek-bones,  large  mouths,  and  coarse, 
black  hair.  For  the  most  part  they  are  excessively  ugly. 
The  men  are  dressed  as  with  us,  but  they  wear,  instead  of 
a  coat,  the  j^oncho,  which  is  a  square  blanket,  with  a  slit 
in  the  centre,  through  which  to  thrust  the  head — varying 
in  color  and  quality,  according  to  the  taste  and  wealth  of 
the  wearer.  It  is  the  distinguishing  mark  of  the  peon  of 
the  country.  The  hats  are  of  different  styles — cheap 
Panama,  little  conical  hats  of  blue  felt,  and  straw.  The 
women  wear  cahcoes,  muslins  and  worsted  plaids,  usually 
of  gay  colors — with  a  shawl  doubled  square,  and  one  end 
thrown  over  the  left  shoulder.  The  hair  hangs  in  heavy 
braids  down  the  back.  If  by  chance  the  shawl  slips  off, 
the  gaping  dress — never  fastened  at  the  bottom  of  the  waist 
— reveals  the  under-clothing.  This  slovenliness  is  char- 
acteristic of  the  women  of  all  classes,  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree. 

On  the  25th  we  arrived  at  Iquique.     A  more  desolate. 


32  SALTPETRE   AND   SILVER  MINES. 

forlorn-looking  place,  could  not  be  imagined.  It  lies  at 
the  base  of  a  rocky  wall  more  than  two  hundred  feet  in 
height,  and  there  is  not  a  drop  of  fresh  water,  nor  a  spear 
of  living  green  for  thirty  miles  round  about.  Saltpetre,  the 
only  export  of  much  value,  is  brought  from  the  mines  in 
the  mountains,  a  distance  of  twelve  leagues.  The  vein  is 
three  feet  thick,  extending,  around  the  margin  of  a  great 
plain,  an  hundred  miles.  I  was  told  that  the  mules  em- 
ployed in  carrying  the  saltpetre,  have  no  food  nor  drink 
from  the  time  they  leave  the  mines  till  their  return,  on  the 
third  day.  There  are  extensive  and  rich  silver  mines  in 
the  vicinity  of  this  place,  which  were  formerly  wrought  by 
the  Spanish  government,  but  were  filled  up  during  the 
revolution,  and  have  remained  in  that  condition  ever  since. 
Drinking-water  is  distilled  from  sea-water,  or  brought 
forty  miles  in  boats  from  the  river  Pisaqua.  We  saw  here, 
and  at  no  other  port,  a  curious  kind  of  boat  (or  holsa,  as 
the  natives  call  it),  constructed  of  two  seal-skins,  made 
air-tight,  lashed  side  by  side  and  inflated — the  boatman,  or 
holsero,  sitting  in  the  middle,  on  a  little  platform  of  canes 
or  rushes,  using  a  double-bladed  oar,  with  which,  dipping 
first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other,  he  propelled  his 


COAST  TOWNS.  66 

craft  with  great  velocity.     These  boats  are  safe,  and  will 
go  through  a  surf  in  which  no  other  boat  could  live. 

We  made  Cobija,  another  of  these  desert  coast-towns, 
on  the  24th.  This  is  the  only  seaport  of  BoHvia.  In 
the  vicinity  are  valuable  copper  mines,  of  which  the  pro- 
ducts are  shipped  at  Catica  and  Algodones.  The  inhabi- 
tants seized  eagerly  upon  the  garden-stuflf  of  our  Arica 
traders,  and  in  a  few  moments  half  the  people  of  Cobija, 
I  believe,  were  chewing  sugar-cane. 

On  the  following  day  we  stopped  at  Caldera,  a  town  of 
three  years'  growth,  containing  1700  inhabitants,  and  the 
port  for  the  city  of  Capiapo.  It  was  laid  out  by  an  Amer- 
ican, and  owes  its  growth  wholly  to  Yankee  enterprise. 
The  harbor  is  a  fine  one,  and  has  the  only  dock  on  the 
whole  coast.  A  railroad  had  just  been  finished  from  Cal- 
dera to  Capiapo  (fifty  miles),  for  bringing  down  silver 
and  copper,  in  the  ores  and  in  bars.  We  took  on  board 
eighty-six  bars  of  silver,  each  one  of  which  was  valued  at 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars.  Caldera  is  utterly  destitute 
of  vegetation  and  fresh  water — sea-water  being  distilled 
for  drinking  and  the  engines. 
3 


CHAPTER  VI. 

It  was  the  morning  of  the  28thj  when  we  entered  the 
bay  of  Valparaiso.  We  rose  earlj,  packed  our  trunks, 
and  then  went  on  deck,  eager  for  the  first  glimpse  of  that 
terrestrial  paradise,  in  whose  delicious  climate  of  perpet- 
ual sunshine,  amid  orange-groves  filled  with  birds  of  gor- 
geous plumage,  we  were  to  live  without  care  and  without 
efibrt.  We  had  some  such  fond  dream  of  Chilian  exist- 
ence, as  nearly  overy  one  has  of  southern  lands,  but  it 
was  soon  dispelled.  The  morn  w^as  cool  and  dark,  and  we 
shivered  under  our  heavy  shawls,  while  the  promised  land 
remained  invisible  until  we  entered  the  port,  and  then  only 
showed  itself  very  vaguely.  After  while  we  beheld  the 
city,  lying  upon  the  shore,  and  hanging  upon  the  slopes  of 
the  verdant  hills — for  it  was  now  near  the  close  of  the 
rainy  season,  and  all  the  land  was  vividly  green. 

Crowds  of  boats  flocked  toward  our  steamer,  the  boat- 
men clamoring  in  Spanish,  and  making  an  incredible  up- 


LANDING   AT   VALPARAISO.  35 

roar ;  but  none  "were  allowed  to  come  alongside  until  the 
captain  of  the  port  had  visited  the  steamer,  as  is  the  cus- 
tom with  all  vessels  entering  the  harbor.  He  ascertains 
their  nationality,  the  number  of  their  passengers,  and  the 
nature  of  their  cargoes,  and  the  name  of  the  last  port 
from  which  they  sailed — to  be  entered  upon  the  books  of 
the  Bolsa,  or  Merchant's  Exchange. 

Selecting  one  boat  for  ourselves  and  another  for  our 
baggage,  we  made  our  way  to  shore,  half  bewildered  with 
strange  sights  and  sounds.  A  gentleman  kindly  accom- 
panied us  to  the  Hotel  Aubrey  (one  of  the  best  in  the 
city),  where  we  found  comfortable  rooms,  and  made  very 
satisfactory  experiment  of  the  cuisine  in  an  immediate 
breakfast.  The  hotel,  three  stories  in  height,  is  built 
against  a  perpendicular  wall  of  rock,  towering  up  three 
times  as  high  as  the  building,  with  cactus  and  many  flow- 
ering plants  growing  from  the  crevices. 

The  history  of  the  port  of  Valparaiso  runs  back  to  1543, 
but  when  the  city  was  founded  is  uncertain.  During  the 
first  days  of  our  residence,  we  walked  every  morning, 
without  success  in  our  attempts  to  form  definite  ideas  of  the 
shape  of  the  place.  The  main  part  of  the  city  is  built  on 
a  narrow  strip  of  land,  three  miles  long,  and  not  of  the 


36  THE  HILLS — THE   ALMENDRAL. 

same  ^idth  anywhere  for  ten  rods  together,  which  termi- 
nates at  the  west  in  a  bold,  rocky  promontory  several  hun- 
dred feet  in  height,  and  on  the  east  by  a  rocky  bluff. 
Then  abruptly  hills  rise  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  feet, 
with  more  or  less  level  ground  beyond,  for  nearly  half  a 
mile,  where  they  tower  up  thirteen  hundred  feet.  These 
hills  are  broken  with  numerous  quebradas  (ravines),  radi- 
ating from  the  shore.  One  spur  called  Cape  Horn,  pro- 
jecting further  than  the  others,  originally  extended  to  the 
water,  almost  dividing  the  city  in  half,  and  only  to  be 
passed  at  low  tide,  but  this  has  been  blasted  and  cut  away, 
until  now  a  street,  with  a  row  of  houses  on  either  side,  lies 
at  its  base. 

The  eastern  quarter  of  the  city  (called  the  Almendral, 
from  a  grove  of  almond-trees  once  planted  there  by  Au- 
gustine monks)  is  built  on  ground  made  by  human  labor 
and  the  torrents  washing  the  sand  from  the  hills.  The 
western  part,  called  El  Puerto,  or  the  port,  is  clustered 
about  the  mole ;  it  is  chiefly  commercial,  and  nearly  all 
the  residents  are  foreigners.  Streets  follow  the  windings 
of  the  principal  ravines  to  the  summits  of  the  hills,  and 
are  passable  to  no  other  vehicle  but  the  birlocho — a  sort 
of  gig  rather  heavier  than  that  in  use  with  us. 


PLAZAS — CHURCHES.  37 

There  are  three  plazas  in  Valparaiso — Victoria,  del  Or- 
den,  and  Municipalidad.  The  Victoria  plaza  only  is  of 
considerable  size.  On  one  side  of  it  fronts  the  church 
San  Augustin,  and  on  the  other  stands  the  theatre — a 
handsome  building,  capable  of  seating  two  thousand  per- 
sons. 

Houses  are  built  along  the  ravines  and  on  the  hill-tops, 
and  thrust  corner-wise  and  sidewise  into  the  hill-slopes, 
partially  supported  by  rude  foundations  of  earth  and  rock, 
or  resting  on  posts,  with  the  appearance  of  being  on  stilts. 
The  hills  are  the  favorite  resort  of  the  sailors,  and  sev- 
eral have  nautical  names — as  the  Maintop,  Mizzentop  and 
Foretop.  Cerro  Alegre  is  the  pleasantest  of  all.  It  is 
occupied  entirely  by  foreigners,  and  every  house  has  its 
little  inclosure  of  choice  plants — a  luxury  purchased  at 
considerable  expense  in  this  barren  place,  where  water 
for  irrigation  must  be  bought  six  months  of  the  year. 

There  are  six  Catholic  churches  in  the  city.  The 
churches  of  Matriz,  San  Augustin  and  Merced  are  the 
principal  ones,  of  which  the  latter  only  is  finished.  Most 
of  the  dwelling-houses,  particularly  in  the  Almendral,  are 
one  story  in  height,  built  of  adobes,  with  patios,  white- 
washed and  roofed  with  tile.     The  adobes  are  bricks  made 


38  TILE-ROOFING — BAMBOO  LATH. 

of  a  mixture  of  claj  and  straw,  and  dried  in  the  sun. 
The  J  are  eighteen  inches  long,  nine  wide,  and  three  thick. 
The  patio  is  a  court  or  yard  inclosed  by  the  walls  of  the 
house.  The  tile-roofing  is  made  of  half  cylinders  of  pot- 
tery, about  eighteen  inches  long  by  eight  in  diameter. 
The  roof  is  first  prepared  by  boarding ;  it  is  then  coat- 
ed with  mud,  and  the  tiles  are  laid  in  courses,  the  concave 
side  up,  from  the  ridge  to  the  eaves,  the  upper  tiles  lap- 
ping over  the  under,  with  other  courses  laid  convex  upon 
the  edges,  and  a  row  forming  the  ridge.  They  are  of  a 
reddish-brown  color,  and  give  rather  a  pleasing  effect  to 
the  city  roofs. 

The  houses  of  more  than  one  story  are  chiefly  to  be 
found  in  the  port.  They  are  made  of  wood  framed  care- 
fully together,  lathed  inside  and  outside  with  bamboo,  and 
plastered.  The  bamboo  is  brought  from  Guayaquil — 
large  sticks,  forty  feet  long  by  eight  inches  in  diameter, 
are  split  and  make  excellent  lathing.  All  buildings  have 
the  first-story  windows  defended  by  iron  bars,  often  wrought 
in  fanciful  devices,  but  all  unpleasantly  suggesting  prison- 
grates. 

Since  the  buildings  are  made  less  of  adobe  and  more  of 
wood,  the  injuries  from  earthquakes  in  Valparaiso  are  not 


BUILDING — THE   SHOPS.  39 

SO  serious  as  formerly ;  a  wooden  house  is  flexible,  and  will 
vibrate  a  great  deal  without  falling.  A  balcony  projects 
from  the  upper  story  of  each  house,  over  the  sidewalk  ; 
and  the  first  floor  is  commonly  used  for  ware-rooms,  stores, 
offices,  etc.,  while  the  dwellings  are  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  building. 

The  city  is  adorned  with  magnificent  stores,  constantly 
importing  from  Europe,  and  furnishing  every  article  of  use 
or  luxury  that  can  be  required.  The  shop  windows  daz- 
zle the  eye  with  their  rich  displays  of  laces,  silks,  and  dia- 
monds. There  are  silks  made  expressly  for  the  South 
American  market,  and  I  have  never  seen  such  splendid 
fabrics  anywhere  else.  An  old  resident  who  removed  to 
New  York  a  few  months  since,  sent  back  to  Valparaiso  to 
buy  dresses  for  his  daughter. 

In  the  Almendral  there  is  a  fine  public  garden,  filled 
with  rare  flowering  plants,  with  broad  walks  sheltered  by 
trellises  of  grape-vines — which  is  open  at  all  times  to  visi- 
tors. Twice  a  week,  during  the  summer  season  (Sunday 
and  Wednesday  evenings),  the  promenaders  are  enlivened 
by  music.  The  garden  is  then  a  great  resort  for  the  elite 
of  Valparaiso. 

The  streets  are  full  of  strange  sights  to  us.     Here  in 


40  CURB-STONE    COMMERCE. 

the  Plaza  Municipalidad  are  groups  of  women  selling  shoes 
— a  piece  of  cloth  or  old  carpet  thrown  upon  the  ground 
near  the  curb-stone,  and  the  vendor  sitting  on  a  low  stool, 
with  her  stock  of  trade  arranged  in  the  interior  of  a  large, 
shallow  basket  before  her.  She  has  for  sale  men's  and 
boy's  coarse  leather  shoes,  and  women's  gaiters  of  all  col- 
ors. She  sits  here  the  whole  day  long,  shifting  her  stool 
to  keep  out  of  the  sun,  and  now  and  then  resigning  it  to 
the  purchaser,  who  wishes  to  try  on  a  shoe. 

Clattering  along  through  the  street  comes  the  water-car- 
rier— a  little  donkey  with  a  wooden  frame  on  either  side, 
sustaining  a  keg  which  holds  about  eight  gallons  of  water. 
The  donkey  has  no  bridle,  but  a  man  or  boy  follows  him. 
He  stops  at  your  door,  and  if  you  Hve  up  stairs,  the  man 
ascends  with  one  keg  at  a  time,  and  pours  it  into  your 
water-barrel.  If  you  live  on  the  first  floor,  the  donkey  is 
driven  into  the  patio.  After  the  water  is  delivered  and 
the  kegs  replaced,  the  man  mounts  so  far  back  upon  the 
donkey's  hind  quarters  that  it  is  hard  to  tell  which  animal 
the  tail  belongs  to — and  away  they  go  on  a  hard  trot  for  a 
new  supply,  the  kegs  banging  in  their  frames,  and  the  ri- 
der belaboring  the  donkey  over  either  ear,  according  as  he 
wants  him  to  turn  to  the  right  or  left.    ^ 


BAKERS — MILKMEN — LAUNDRESSES.  41 

After  the  water-carrier  comes  the  bread  man.  All  the 
bread  supplied  from  public  bakeries  is  of  excellent  qual- 
ity. Men  on  mules  traverse  the  city,  bringing  it  to  the 
people's  doors  every  morning.  They  are  equipped  with 
two  panniers,  nearly  a  foot  square,  made  of  hide,  and  of- 
ten carry  a  basket  or  bag  full  of  bread  on  top  of  these  ; 
the  rider  sits  on  the  mule's  shoulders,  and  the  establish- 
ment occupies  nearly  the  whole  width  of  the  narrow 
street. 

The  milkman  carries  his  milk  in  two  small  tin  cans,  sus- 
pended on  either  side  of  his  mule,  and  comes  so  far  and 
rides  so  fast,  that  the  fluid  is  often  half-churned  when  you 
get  it. 

The  laundress  bringing  your  washed  clothes,  fetches 
them  on  her  back, — passing  her  hand  over  her  shoulder, 
grasping  the  bands,  and  holding  the  garments  at  full 
length  that  they  may  not  be  wrinkled. 

The  hotels  here  are  all  conducted  on  the  French  plan — 
breakfast  from  eight  to  twelve,  and  dinner  at  five,  with  no 
other  regular  meal,  though  you  can  have  lunch  or  tea  if 
you  order  it.  At  the  table  d'hote  gentlemen  smoke  be- 
tween the  courses,  and  at  intervals  along  the  table  are 
placed  little  three-legged  metal  cups,  containing  coals  of 


42  HOTELS — EARTHQUAKES. 

fire  bj  which  to  light  the  cigarritos.  One  admirable  fea- 
ture in  the  hotel  cuisine  is,  that  whether  you  have  coffee, 
tea  or  chocolate  for  breakfast,  it  is  made  for  you  alone, 
and  brought  in  a  small  pot,  with  a  pitcher  of  hot  milk  and 
a  dish  of  sugar.  In  this  way  you  get  it  fresh,  and  not  as 
we  do  at  our  large  American  hotels,  where  it  is  made  in 
quantity,  and  where  you  only  know  the  beverage  by  its 
color. 

As  this  is  the  land  of  earthquakes,  we  began  life  in  it, 
with  daily  expectations  of  the  temblor — fearfully  curious 
about  our  sensations.  Our  first  experience  was  somewhat 
ludicrous.  We  had  dined  out,  and  about  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  while  the  gentlemen  were  still  at  table,  we  in 
the  parlor  were  discussing  the  subject  of  earthquakes,  and 
our  hostess  remarked,  "  I  always  run  into  the  street," 
and  then  sprang  suddenly  from  the  sofa,  exclaiming — 
"  There  is  one  now !  Ladies,  there  is  the  door,''  and  flew 
to  the  nursery  to  secure  her  little  ones — leaving  us  stand- 
ing transfixed  with  terror,  staring  at  each  other,  utterly 
ignorant  (for  it  was  the  first  time  we  had  been  in  the 
house)  which  door  opened  into  the  street.  I  only  re- 
member groping  my  way  through  a  dimly  lighted  hall,  and 
lifting  my  feet  as  if  I  were  walking  the  deck  of  a  rolling 


THE   WEATHER — MARKETS.  43 

ship.  This  was  so  slight  a  shock  that  we  should  never 
have  noticed  it  ourselves. 

It  was  now  the  close  of  winter,  and  very  cool,  so  that 
until  nine  in  the  morning,  and  after  four  in  the  afternoon, 
we  suffered  excessively  even  with  thick  shawls  on.  There 
were  no  fires  in  the  house,  and  we  ordered  a  hrasero, 
a  brass  pan  on  three  legs,  and  filled  with  charcoal, 
which  is  lighted  and  placed  in  the  open  air  until  well 
burned,  when  it  is  brought  into  the  room.  We  always  had 
headache  from  it. 

I  went  to  market  soon  after  our  arrival  in  Valparaiso. 
The  market-house  consists  of  two  or  three  large  rooms 
crowded  with  all  sorts  of  things  in  season,  piled  up  in  bas- 
kets or  on  the  floor, — and  the  place  swarming  with  filthy 
people.  Every  thing  was  so  fearfully  dirty,  that  I  almost 
concluded  to  fast  during  my  residence  in  Chili.  There 
were  in  market,  green  peas,  beans,  lettuce,  radishes, 
squashes,  turnips  and  potatoes,  all  of  good  quality  ;  and 
turkeys,  chickens,  partridges,  very  good  beef,  poor  mut- 
ton and  veal,  and  various  kinds  of  scale  and  shell-fish. 

After  much  earnest  search  for  a  house,  we  finally  de- 
cided to  rent  the  house  and  purchase  the  furniture  of  an 
American  engineer  who  had  been  in  the  employment  of 


44  PROTESTANT   CHURCHES — SUNDAY   LIFE. 

the  Chilian  government  three  or  four  years,  and  was  now 
going  home.  In  Valparaiso  we  found  a  small,  but  plea- 
sant society  of  Americans,  our  nation  being  less  numer- 
ously represented  there  than  either  the  English,  Germans, 
or  French.  There  are  two  Protestant  places  of  worship 
in  the  city — that  of  the  Congregationalists,  and  that  of  the 
Church  of  England,  under  the  patronage  of  the  British 
Consul. 

With  the  natives,  Sunday,  so  sacred  with  us,  is  a  grand 
gala-day,  and  every  Sabbath  morning  the  streets  are  gay 
with  military  and  music,  pleasure  parties  starting  to  the 
country,  and  people  hurrying  from  mass — the  fine  lady  to 
finish  the  day  at  the  opera,  and  the  peasant  to  crown  her 
devotions  at  the  fandango. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

November.  We  took  possession  of  our  house  on  the 
1st  of  October,  and  occupy  the  whole  upper  story.  Ours 
is  like  most  other  two-story  houses  here.  It  has  a  kitchen, 
dining-room,  parlor,  and  seven  bedrooms.  The  dining- 
room  is  in  the  middle  of  the  house,  and  is  lighted  by  two 
small  windows  in  the  roof.  All  the  other  rooms  open  upon 
a  corridor,  which  extends  around  three  sides  of  the  building. 
The  kitchen  is  very  small,  with  a  curious  brick  range  in 
the  centre.  The  walls  and  fixtures  are  all  as  black  as  a 
chimney-flue,  and  utterly  revolting  to  the  spirit  of  Yankee 
house-keeping  within  me.  We  have  the  whole  establish- 
ment at  a  rent  of  §800  per  annum. 

We  engaged  a  cook  and  retained  our  predecessor's  man- 
servant, neither  of  whom  spoke  one  word  of  English, 
while  we  were  equally  ignorant  of  Spanish.  We  took  pos- 
session in  the  morning,  and  found  no  cook.  The  dinner- 
hour  came,  and  there  was  no  dinner.     We  had  nothing  in 


46  HOUSE-KEEPING  EXPERIENCES. 

the  house  but  some  groceries  and  bread,  and  could  buy 
nothing  because  we  could  not  speak  the  language  of  traf- 
fic, and  even  if  we  had  had  plenty  of  provisions,  we  could 
have  cooked  nothing  on  that  incomprehensible  range  !  So 
the  gentlemen  went  back  to  the  hotel  and  breakfasted, 
while  we  satisfied  our  appetites  upon  bread  and  butter. 

A  friend  called  during  the  evening,  and  suggested,  that 
until  we  could  procure  a  cook,  we  should  have  our  meals 
brought  us  from  a  cafe.  This  is  quite  a  common  custom, 
I  find.  You  have  a  set  of  tins  made,  fitting  one  into  the 
other,  with  a  wire  passing  through  rings  at  the  side. 
The  bottom  tin  contains  coals,  and  the  different  meals 
and  vegetables  are  placed  in  the  successive  tins  above. 
At  dinner-time  one  may  see  men  rushing  through  the 
streets  in  every  direction,  with  these  strings  of  dishes,  va- 
rying in  length,  according  to  the  magnitude  of  the  pur- 
chaser's dinner. 

We  lived  in  this  way  for  a  week,  receiving  applications 
without  number  from  cooks;  and  finally  hired  one  who 
came  well  recommended — an  old  woman  of  about  sixty. 
She  is  to  have  eight  dollars  a  month  for  cooking  two  meals 
a  day,  washing  the  greater  part  of  the  dishes,  and  going 
to  market  for  us.     She  sleeps  in  her  own  house.     It  is 


DOMESTIC   LIFE.  47 

droll  to  see  me  in  the  evening  approach  my  cook  to  give 
instructions  about  marketing — bearing  money  in  one  hand 
and  a  dictionary  in  the  other.  I  have  learned  the  pronun- 
ciation of  the  language,  which  is  not  difificult,  and  I  dis- 
pense entirely  with  verbs.  The  brief  dialogue  is  some- 
thing in  this  manner : 

I — Maria,  hQQhte^k^  papas ^Jiuevos  (potatoes,  eggs). 

Maria  (invariably)  —  Bueno,  Senorita  (very  good. 
Miss). 

The  man-servant  (major-domo,  he  is  magnificently 
styled  here)  is  our  chamber-maid^  takes  charge  of  the 
dining-room,  and  waits  at  table. 

We  have  one  street  staircase  up  which  every  thing  is 
brought.  The  first  thing  I  hear  in  the  morning  is  the  clat- 
ter upon  the  steps  of  the  water-carrier,  who  brings  us  two 
kegs  of  water  daily,  for  which  he  receives  two  dollars  and 
a  half  a  month ;  then  the  bread  man,  whom  we  pay  half  a 
dollar  daily  for  what  our  family  of  seven  and  two  servants 
consume.  (In  addition  to  meats  and  vegetables  from  our 
table,  servants  are  entitled  to  one  pound  of  good  brown 
sugar  a  week,  and  three  cents'  worth  of  bread  a  day. 
Butter  is  never  allowed  them.)     Next  comes  the  milkman 


48  WANT   OF   SPANISH. 

with  half  a  pint  for  six  cents.  Lastly  the  cook  arrives 
with  the  marketing,  and  fuel  with  which  to  cook  it. 

This  is  a  novel  way  of  living  from  hand-to-mouth,  and 
I  always  have  an  impression  that  some  day  we  shall  be  left 
destitute.  It  is,  however,  very  easy  for  housekeepers,  for 
no  bread  is  made  in  the  house,  and  no  washing  is  done  at 
home.  Our  laundress  comes  on  Monday,  takes  away  our 
soiled  linen,  and  brings  the  clean.  But  one  must  keep  a 
close  account  of  every  article  to  guard  against  theft.  At 
first,  of  course,  we  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  the 
servants  managed  matters  pretty  much  in  their  own  way. 

I  never  so  keenly  felt  my  ignorance  of  language,  as  the 
other  evening  when  a  Chileno  with  his  family,  called  to 
pay  their  respects,  and  we  sat  mutely  staring  at  each  other 
— eager  to  talk,  and  our  heads,  no  doubt,  full  of  bright 
ideas,  while  we  were  obliged  to  confine  our  conversation  to 
saying  "Buenas  noches  "  (good-night).  I  was  desperate, 
and  studied   Spanish  next  morning  with  prodigious  vigor. 

Fires  are  not  allowed  in  the  port  for  other  than  cooking 
purposes,  except  by  special  permission  of  the  Intendente, 
The  natives  use  the  hrasero  occasionally  on  cool  evenings, 
but  foreigners  have  introduced  a  few  Yankee  coal-stoves, 
placing  them  usually  in  the  dining-room,  and   projecting 


NO    FIRES    PERMITTED.  49 

the  pipe  through  the  window.  There  is  one  in  our  house 
arranged  as  Mr.  C.  left  it,  in  this  manner,  and  one  rainy 
day  I  attempted  to  light  a  fire  in  it.  As  the  volume 
of  smoke  poured  out  of  the  window,  a  policeman  came 
hurrying  up  the  stairs  and  into  the  room,  vociferating  Span- 
ish. I  did  not  understand  a  word,  though  I  knew  the  pur- 
port of  his  visit ;  so  I  worked  away  at  my  fire,  and  replied 
in  English  that  I  was  cold,  and  that  the  fire  would  soon 
burn.  He  expostulated  in  Spanish,  and  I  rejoined  again 
in  English,  and  being  a  woman,  out-talked  him,  and  he 
went  off.  In  a  few  moments  more,  with  his  spurs  and  sword 
clattering  along  the  corridor,  came  an  officer-of-police,  up- 
on whom  I  tried  the  measures  so  effectual  with  his  subor- 
dinate, and  each  of  us  talked  at  the  other  in  the  wildest 
and  most  incomprehensible  manner.  At  last,  in  sheer 
desperation,  he  ended  the  matter  by  tearing  the  fire  to 
pieces  with  his  hands. 

We  walk  daily.  All  but  the  principal  streets  are  narrow , 
filthy,  and  crowded  with  men,  women,  children,  donkeys 
and  dogs,  while  the  dust  swarms  with  fleas.  As  you  pass 
along  through  the  poorer  quarters,  you  notice  in  the  door- 
ways, picturesque  family  groups  of  people,  making  those  in- 
teresting examinations  of  each  others'  heads,  which,  among 
4 


50  THE   CEMETERIES. 

the  infested  of  some  other  lands,  are  usually  conducted  in 
private.     Here,  however,  the  strongest  light  is  sought. 

Places  of  resort  with  us  are  the  Catholic  and  Protestant 
cemetenes,  which  are  situated  on  the  summit  of  one  of 
the  hills,  and  are  both  surrounded  with  adobe  walls,  taste- 
fully ornamented  with  plants  and  trees.  These  cemete- 
ries are  separated  by  a  narrow  lane.  That  of  the  Catho- 
lics is  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  bay  ;  that  of 
the  Protestants  in  the  rear  of  the  other.  Each  has  a 
chapel,  to  which  it  is  the  custom  to  bring  the  dead  at  mid- 
night, and  lock  them  up,  performing  the  funeral  services 
at  an  appointed  hour  the  next  day. 

In  the  Catholic  grounds  are  some  fine  monuments,  of 
which  the  most  beautiful  was  erected  by  the  Municipality 
of  Valparaiso,  to  the  memory  of  Porlates,  perhaps'  the 
most  brilliant  statesman  Chili  has  produced.  It  is  a  shaft 
of  pure  white  marble,  with  a  pointed  cap,  which  has  been 
half  turned  round  by  earthquakes.  The  monument,  which 
contains  the  heart  of  the  deceased  patriot,  is  appropriate- 
ly inscribed. 

There  are  vaults  and  tombs  to  be  used  permanently  by 
those  who  can  pay  for  them,  but  other  graves  are  rented 
for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  the  bodies 


i^ 


MODE    OF   BURIAL.  51 

are  dug  up,  the  bones  thrown  in  a  deep  pit,  and  the  coffins 
burned.  For  the  wretched  poor,  those  who  have  no  money 
at  all,  excavations  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  square,  and  ten 
or  twelve  deep,  are  made,  into  which  the  bodies,  wrapped 
in  cloth,  are  thrown,  layer  upon  layer,  with  earth  over 
each,  until  the  whole  space  is  filled.  It  is  then  smoothed 
over,  and  another  pit  is  prepared. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Catholic  cemetery  stands  an  oc- 
tagonal  wall  of  masonry,  ten  feet  in  diameter  by  twelve  in 
height,  and  surmounted  by  an  iron  railing — this  incloses 
a  deep  pit  where  the  bones  are  heaped  together.  On  my 
first  visit,  a  ladder  was  standing  against  the  wall,  and  I 
saw,  with  an  indescribable  horror,  the  leg  of  a  skeleton 
dangling  over  the  railing. 

"We  are  not  satisfied  with  the  location  of  our  house, 
from  which  nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  filthy  people,  donkeys, 
dogs,  and  sailors'  boarding-houses. 

The  other  day  I  noticed  in  the  street  a  donkey-load  that 
excited  my  curiosity.  It  consisted  of  dirty,  yellow  lumps 
of  something,  which  on  inquiry  proved  to  be  tallow  from 
the  country,  put  up,  as  is  the  custom,  in  the  stomachs  of 
cattle.     Our  butter  is  put  up  in  hogs^  bladders,  and  we 


52  HOW  BUTTER  IS  PRESERVED. 

buj  a  skin  at  a  time.  It  is  very  sweet,  and  this  method 
of  procuring  it  is  very  good.  If  we  could  only  know  that 
the  skins  had  been  thoroughly  cleaned  ! 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

December.  We  are  comfortably  settled  in  our  new 
house  on  Cape  Horn  Hill,  which  is  a  great  improvement 
on  the  old  locality.  We  are  two  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  look  (twenty  feet  from  our  front  door)  down  an 
abrupt  hill  bristling  with  cactuses,  upon  the  house-tops  of 
the  streets  below.  On  either  hand,  the  whole  city  lies  in 
view ;  across  a  deep  ravine  are  the  Pantheons  or  burial- 
grounds,  while  before  stretches  the  bay  with  its  shipping 
— and  we  see  every  vessel  that  goes  out  or  comes  in. 

The  mornings  here  are  glorious,  and  the  sunsets  gor- 
geous. As  most  persons  breakfast  late,  it  is  the  custom  to 
walk  in  the  early  morning  before  the  wind  rises.  The 
hill-promenades  are  then  thronged  with  people  inhaling 
the  healthful  breeze.  Nowhere  in  the  world,  I  think,  can 
it  be  more  charming  than  here  upon  these  hills  in  the  sum- 
mer mornings,  far  above  the  vileness,  dust  and  tumult  of 
the  city.     It  is  a  luxury  to  merely  live  and  breathe  in  this 


54  SOUTH   WIND — FRUITS — POULTRY. 

golden  sunshine  viewing  this  magnificent  scenery,  and  for- 
getting the  troubles  and  struggles  of  the  world  beneath  us. 

From  December  until  April  the  south  wind  blows.  It 
usually  rises  about  ten  in  the  morning,  and  falls  about  five 
in  the  afternoon ;  but  it  often  continues  night  and  day  for 
two  or  three  days  at  a  time — a  furious  wind,  roaring  about 
the  house,  penetrating  every  crevice,  whirling  the  gravel 
and  dust  in  clouds,  and  driving  the  red  sand  of  the  hills 
all  over  the  bay  and  shipping.  This  south  wind  is  remark- 
able for  extending  only  about  twenty-five  miles  inland, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  seaward,  and  ranging  along 
the  coast  from  Cape  Horn  to  the  equator. 

As  it  is  now  the  summer  of  the  south  temperate  zone,  we 
are  having  the  luxuries  of  June  and  July  in  December. 
Strawberries  are  brought  to  our  door  every  day,  and 
are  sold  at  a  real  (twelve  and  a  half  cents)  a  hundred — 
though  the  first  that  came  were  one  dollar.  The  berry  is 
very  large,  pale  red  in  color,  and  firm  in  flesh,  but  it  is 
deficient  in  flavor.  Fruit  is  always  sold  by  the  number 
(even  to  strawberries)  instead  of  by  the  measure ;  and  at 
the  close  of  all  bargains  it  is  the  custom  of  the  country 
(costumhre  del  pais),  for  the  seller  to  throw  in  a  little  ex- 
tra of  his  commodity,  for  what  they  call  the  llajM,     Chick- 


THE   OPERA.  55 

ens  are  brought  to  town  tied  together  by  the  legs  in  bunch- 
es, like  onions,  slung  upon  the  vender's  shoulder,  and  ped- 
dled from  door  to  door,  the  merchant  pinching  their  breasts 
with  his  nails  to  assure  you  of  their  flesh  and  tenderness. 
Turkeys  are  driven  through  the  streets  in  large  droves. 

There  is  a  very  good  Italian  Opera  Troupe  now  in  Val- 
paraiso, and  we  went  the  other  evening  to  hear  Ernani. 
The  theatre  is  very  handsome,  and  inside  is  not  architec- 
turally different  from  our  own.  Between  the  acts  of  the 
play  or  opera,  the  gentlemen  go  out  into  the  vestibule,  or 
upon  the  side,  to  indulge  in  the  universal  cigar,  and  a  bell 
is  rung  to  recall  them  before  the  curtain  rises.  The  house 
is  so  filled  with  smoke  for  a  few  minutes  after  each  act, 
that  you  can  scarcely  see  across  it.  At  the  close  of  the 
performances  all  the  gentlemen  w^ho  have  no  ladies  in 
charge,  hurry  into  the  vestibule,  and  take  up  their  posi- 
tions in  a  row,  leaving  a  lane  through  which  the  ladies 
must  pass,  and  stare  at  them  with  great  earnestness,  com- 
menting often  on  their  beauty.  So  far  from  considering 
this  an  impertinence,  the  Valparaiso  fair  think  it  very  com- 
plimentary. Sundays  and  Thursdays  are  opera  nights — 
Sunday  night  being  the  favorite  with  the  Chilenos,  when 
the  best  pieces  are  usually  given.     Theatre  going  is  an 


56  FLOWERS   OF  THE   SEASON. 

expensive  amusement  in  Valparaiso.  The  price  of  a  box 
is  ten  dollars,  and  you  pay  besides  an  entrada  of  one  dol- 
lar and  a  quarter  for  each  person. 

January.  It  is  now  the  15th  of  the  month,  and  mid- 
summer, and  yet  the  mercury  has  not  risen  above  77° 
Fahrenheit.  I  paid  a  visit  this  morning  to  a  lady  who  has 
a  small  yard  filled  with  the  choicest  flowers,  and  brought 
home  a  magnificent  bouquet  of  nineteen  varieties — some 
of  them  familiar,  and  others  I  had  never  seen.  She  had 
heliotropes  and  fuschias  five  and  six  feet  in  height ;  and 
straw-colored  tea  roses  covering  a  wall  ten  feet  high,  and 
blooming  in  clusters  of  four  or  five,  each  rose  the  size  of  a 
cofiee-saucer. 

Peaches  are  now  in  season.  All  of  them  that  I 
have  seen  are  large  but  tasteless  clingstones.  All  fruits 
and  vegetables  are  brought  from  the  Quillata  Valley  (some 
forty  miles  distant),  on  the  backs  of  mules  and  donkeys,  in 
panniers  made  of  hide.  A  very  fine,  tall  clover,  called 
alfalfa^  is  cut  and  brought  into  the  city  to  feed  horses 
with.  This,  too,  is  carried  on  the  backs  of  mules,  in  such 
quantities,  that  nothing  is  to  be  seen  of  the  animals  but 
their  feet  and  muzzled  noses.  The  mule  is  used  for  every 
thing. 


AN   EARTHQUAKE.  57 

February.  We  have  now  very  good  pears,  several 
kinds  of  plums,  nectarines,  melons  and  grapes.  The 
large,  white  grape  of  commerce  is  grown  here  in  great 
perfection,  as  well  as  a  fine  purple  grape,  of  which  the 
clusters  are  prodigious  in  size.  We  have  apples,  but  they 
are  hard  and  sweet — good  for  nothing. 

On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  this  month,  we  were 
aroused  from  sleep  by  a  loud  roar,  and  a  jarring  of  the 
earth.  In  an  instant  we  were  on  our  feet,  when  there 
came  another  shock,  yet  more  severe,  rattling  every  door 
and  window.  The  sensations  produced  by  earthquakes 
are  indescribable.  In  all  other  dangers,  by  sea  and  land, 
one  has  an  instinctive  feeling,  that  if  it  were  only  possible 
to  touch  mother  earth,  one  would  be  safe,  but  when  the 
earth  herself  quivers  under  our  feet,  the  last  refuge  seems 
gone ;  all  our  preconceived  notions  of  stability  are  shaken 
— we  feel  our  utter  helplessness ;  and  to  me  the  first  idea 
was  always  of  some  crushing,  overwhelming  calamity' — 
with  a  terror  such  as  one  might  reasonably  be  expected  to 
feel  at  the  approach  of  the  Day  of  Judgment. 

I  allow  myself  the  greatest  latitude  of  performance  in 
these  sketches  of  my  life  in  Valparaiso,  and  I  hope  no- 
body will  be  astonished  by  my  abrupt  transitions  from  one 


58  VARIETIES   OF   COSTUME. 

subject  to  another.  Our  existence  itself  was  as  sudden 
in  its  passage  from  the  sublime  to  the  ridiculous,  and  back 
again — and  now  we  were  charmed  with  the  delicious  cli- 
mate, and  now  disgusted  with  the  dirty  lanes  and  unwhole- 
some people  ;  now  we  shuddered  at  the  throes  of  an  earth- 
quake, and  now  we  bargained  for  poultry  at  the  gate  ;  now 
we  mused  among  the  groves  of  the  pantheons,  and  now 
we  strolled  through  the  city  diverted  with  its  abounding 
and  novel  life. 

One  of  the  things  which  amused  us  in  street  sights,  this 
month,  was  the  variety  of  dress  among  the  ladies.  It  was 
the  autumn  of  the  south  temperate  zone,  but  there  was 
little  change  from  the  summer  weather,  and  people  dressed, 
some  according  to  comfort,  and  some  according  to  the  sea- 
son. One  lady  went  by  in  a  velvet  dress,  fur  cloak  and 
velvet  hat — the  full  winter  costume  for  a  cold  climate  ;  an- 
other followed  in  a  gay  cashmere,  and  perhaps  the  next 
wore  a  lace  bonnet  and  berage  dress.  The  only  thing  in 
which  they  were  all  alike,  was  the  long,  voluminous  skirts 
with  which  they  swept  the  pavement  far  and  wide. 

Happily  there  is  no  such  comment  on  the  caprices  of 
fashion  in  Valparaiso,  as  enlivens  our  newspaper  literature 


NEWSPAPERS   IN    VALPARAISO.  69 

at  home — possibly  because  there  are  hardly  any  newspa- 
pers ;  there  are  only  two  Spanish  dailies  in  the  city,  and 
all  attempts  to  sustain  a  journal  in  English  have  failed. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

April.  The  ninth  of  this  month  was  Palm  Sunday,  and 
the  week  that  followed  was  Holy  Week,  of  great  observ- 
ance in  all  Catholic  countries.  All  day  Saturday  the 
streets  were  filled  with  boys  selling  leaves  of  the  cocoa- 
palm,  each  about  ten  feet  long,  and  braided  and  decorated 
with  ribbons.  On  Sunday  morning  we  went  to  the  church 
of  Nuestra  Seiiora  del  Carmen,  which  we  found  thronged 
with  kneeling  figures  of  men  and  women,  each  bearing  a 
leaf  of  palm,  while  dense  masses  of  those  who  could  not 
enter,  blocked  the  doors.  There  were  prayers  intoned  by 
the  priests,  music  of  polkas  and  waltzes,  and  abundance 
of  weaving  of  palms,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  devotion, 
and  no  evidence  that  the  people  had  in  mind  that  day  of 
which  they  were  celebrating  the  anniversary.  After  awhile 
a  priest  entered  the  church,  preceded  by  three  dirty,  bare- 
headed urchins,  one  of  whom  tinkled  a  little  bell  for  the 
congregation  to  kneel,  which  they  did  as  the  procession 


PALM-SUNDAY — HOLY   WEEK.  61 

passed  them.  Presently  a  band  of  music  from  the  bar- 
racks arrived,  when  the  crowd  formed  into  a  procession 
with  the  priests  at  their  head,  bearing  a  great  book,  and  a 
palm  gilt  and  crowned,  and  followed  by  boys  with  lighted  ta- 
pers. Marching  through  the  streets,  they  were  joined  by 
a  procession  from  the  church  of  La  Merced  ;  then  after 
marching  around  the  plaza  Victoria,  they  returned  to  the 
church,  and  the  ceremonies  for  that  day  were  concluded. 

On  Thursday  morning,  at  ten  o'clock,  all  places  of  busi- 
ness were  closed  ;  not  a  vehicle  (unless  that  of  a  physi- 
cian) was  to  be  seen  in  the  street,  and  all  the  Catholic 
ships  in  the  harbor  displayed  their  flags  at  half-mast. 
This  was  the  anniversary  of  the  crucifixion,  and  a  solemn 
and  sacred  festival  with  the  Catholic  natives.  Protestant 
foreigners  usually  spend  it  in  picnic  excursions,  etc. 

At  night  the  churches  were  brilliantly  illuminated  ;  some 
parts  of  the  ceremonies  were  very  impressive.  In  front 
of  the  altar  of  the  church  we  attended — the  shrine  blaz- 
ing with  candles — lay  bound  upon  a  cross,  a  life-size  fig- 
ure of  the  Saviour,  carved  in  wo  3d,  and  painted  with  all 
the  horrors  of  His  painful  death.  On  either  side  of  the 
image  a  guard  was  stationed,  who  cried  at  intervals,  "  Us 


62  CEREMONIES — PROCESSIONS. 

tercera  liora  !  "    (It  is  the  third  hour.)     People  came  and 
went  in  throngs,  kissing  the  feet  of  the  image. 

It  was  a  moonlight  night ;  the  streets  were  filled  with 
multitudes,  all  mournfully  attired  in  black,  and  groups  of 
people  repeated  their  prayers  aloud,  going  from  church  to 
church — for  the  greater  the  number  of  these  estaciones,  as 
these  visits  are  called,  the  greater  the  expiation. 

On  Friday  the  reign  of  silence  continued,  and  the  altars 
of  the  churches  were  draped  in  black.  At  night  there 
was  a  torch-light  procession.  First  came  priests  chanting, 
and  then  life-size  images  of  the  saints,  clothed  in  flowing 
robes  of  velvet;  among  the  rest  was  an  image  of  the  Vir- 
gin in  white  tarlatan,  upon  a  platform,  attended  by  four 
little  girls,  dressed  as  angels,  with  artificial  wings,  curls 
and  flower-wreaths  upon  their  heads.  The  Holy  Sepul- 
chre was  represented  by  a  large  box  draped  with  white 
muslin,  half  revealing  a  recumbent  figure.  All  these 
things  were  borne  upon  men's  shoulders,  and  were  suc- 
ceeded by  devotees  with  lanterns  and  candles,  and  sur- 
rounded by  an  unwholesome  rabble,  running  and  pushing, 
and  jostling  on  every  side. 

On  Saturday  morning  there  were  services  in  the 
churches,  all  gloomily  decorated  with  black.     The  priests 


SERVICES   IN  THE   CHURCHES.  63 

marched  in  procession — there  was  a  vast  deal  of  lighting 
and  extinguishing  of  candles,  tinkling  of  bells,  genuflex- 
ions and  swinging  of  censors,  until  ten  o'clock,  when  sud- 
denly the  black  veils  before  the  altars  were  thrown  aside, 
displaying  the  shrines  all  ablaze  with  candles,  while  the 
glad  crj  arose,  "  Christ  is  risen,"  and  a  peal  of  triumphant 
music  burst  from  choir,  organ  and  bells.  The  cannon 
of  the  fort  thundered  the  tidings,  and  the  national  ships 
of  war  re-echoed.  The  closed  doors  flew  open,  vehicles 
thronged  the  streets,  business  was  resumed  with  its  accus- 
tomed noise — 

'•  And  all  the  long-pent  stream  of  life 
Dashed  downward  in  a  cataract," 

while  the  indignant  populace  vented  a  retrospective  rage 
upon  efiSgies  of  Judas  Iscariot,  which  were  made  to  sufier 
every  punishment  that  human  ingenuity  could  invent — they 
were  drowned  in  the  sea,  burnt  at  the  corners,  dragged 
through  the  streets,  and  torn  to  pieces  on  the  hill-sides. 

And  so  ended  Holy  Week. 

31ay.  On  Friday,  the  7th,  a  "  norther  "  commenced 
blowing,  which,  increasing  through  the  night,  on  Saturday 
morning  was  most  terrific.  The  bay  opening  to  the  north 
receives  the  full  force  of  the  wind — the  waves  roll  upon 


64  A    NORTHER — WRECKS. 

the  beach  in  the  centre,  and  hurl  themselves  upon  the 
rocks  at  the  extremities  of  the  city,  with  a  force  that  is 
seemingly  irresistible.  The  ^Yater  is  very  deep,  and  if  ves- 
sels are  not  securely  anchored,  they  are  inevitably  dashed 
to  pieces  upon  the  shore.  There  were  some  eighty  ships 
and  steamers  in  the  bay,  all  rolling  and  plunging  fearfully, 
with  sheets  of  spray  flying  over  their  masts.  Early  in 
the  morning,  an  old  ship  loaded  with  coals  sunk  at  her 
moorings;  and  soon  after  another  old  vessel  pulled  her 
bows  out  and  sunk.  Later  in  the  day,  we  observed  a  large 
ship  gradually  drawing  near  the  breakers  :  ten  minutes  af- 
ter she  reached  the  first  line,  she  was  tossing  in  the  furious 
surf  of  the  beach  like  a  cork,  while  her  crew  were  plain- 
ly seen  clinging  to  the  masts  and  rigging.  Hundreds  of 
people  thronged  to  the  shore  to  render  aid,  and  succeeded 
in  stretching  a  rope  from  a  mast  to  the  beach,  and  by  this 
means  saved  the  crew.  In  two  hours  not  a  vestige  of  the 
vessel  was  to  be  seen  ;  and  before  night  three  other  ships 
were  wrecked — so  close  in  sight  of  us,  that  we  looked 
down  upon  their  decks. 

Many  vessels  were  injured  by  collisions ;  and  the  rain 
poured  all  day  in  torrents.  At  night  the  storm  abated, 
and  next  morning  the  nearest  mountain  range  was  glitter- 


SNOWY    MOUNTAINS.  65 

ing  with  snow.  After  such  a  storm,  the  weather  for  sev- 
eral days  is  glorious — the  snowj  mountains  glisten' all  day 
in  the  sun,  and  when  the  sun  sets  in  the  evening,  they 
glow  with  all  the  hues  and  splendors  of  the  rainbow — to 
fade  slowly  away,  as  night  comes,  into  ghastly  whiteness. 


CHAPTER  X. 

June.  The  29th  of  this  month  was  St.  Peter's  Day, 
and  was  celebrated  here  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 
An  image  of  St.  Peter  was  placed  in  a  boat  gaily  deco- 
rated with  flags,  and  bearing  several  priests,  which  made 
the  circuit  of  the  bay,  followed  by  an  hundred  other  boats, 
likewise  trimmed  with  banners.  The  image  was  plunged 
into  the  water  and  withdrawn,  fumigated  with  incense, 
and  taken  back  to  the  church.  The  figure  was  gigantic, 
and  bore  two  immense  keys  in  its  hand.  The  object  of 
this  ceremony  is,  to  bless  the  fish  that  they  may  increase 
and  multiply. 

Some  of  the  Catholics  here  have  a  custom  of  expiating 
their  sins  by  nine  days'  penance  during  Lent.  In  every 
town  there  is  a  house  provided  for  the  purpose,  and  in  the 
charge  of  priests,  where  the  penitents  spend  their  nights 
in  alternately  praying  and  scourging  each  other.  The  in- 
firm expiate  their  sins  by  reciprocal  pinchings.     The  lights 


EXPIATION   OP   SINS — VOWS.  67 

are  extinguished,  and  at  a  signal  from  the  priests  the  pen- 
itents change  places  and  commence  thrashing  the  nearest 
sinner  with  a  vigor  which  cannot  leave  any  doubt  of  the 
sincerity  of  their  contrition.  The  devout  often  take  a 
vow  that  if  the  Virgin  will  do  certain  things  for  them — 
restore  a  sick  friend  to  health,  or  the  like — they  will  per- 
form this  or  that  ceremony,  or  dress  themselves  or  their 
children  a  specified  length  of  time  in  a  particular  color. 
For  instance,  the  French  consul's  wife  having  lost  several 
children,  vowed  that  if  her  last  child  was  spared,  she 
would  clothe  it  in  white  for  one  year.  It  lived,  and  the 
vow  was  religiously  fulfilled. 

Many  other  pious  observances  attract  the  foreigner's  at- 
tention. An  American  residing  in  an  interior  town,  re- 
lated that  he  saw  a  woman  crawl  on  her  naked  knees 
round  an  entire  square — till  her  limbs  streamed  with  blood 
— in  penance  for  her  sins. 

September.  The  17th,  18th  and  19th  of  this  month 
are  required  by  government  to  be  observed  as  national 
holidays.  They  are  the  anniversaries  of  the  days  when 
Chili  threw  off  the  Spanish  yoke,  and  are  celebrated  with 
great  rejoicings — the  country  people  often  continuing  the 
holidays  until  October.     Every  house  with  pretensions  to 


68  THE   DIEZ   Y   OCHO. 

consideration,  has  its  flag-staff  and  banner  waving  over 
the  street.  The  Chilian  flag  with  its  white  star  on  blue 
ground,  and  one  red  and  one  white  stripe,  is  very  pretty  ; 
and  the  vast  number  of  these,  with  the  colors  of  the  for- 
eign officials,  displayed  during  the  festivities,  give  the  city 
a  beautiful  appearance. 

At  this  time,  every  woman  must  have  a  new  dress,  and 
every  man  a  new  poncho  ;  houses  are  new  painted,  streets 
are  cleaned,  and  the  whole  place  furbished  up,  inside  and 
out.  Even  our  cook  felt  the  contagion  of  reform,  and  I 
found  her  industriously  pushing  the  dirt  from  the  middle 
of  the  kitchen  floor  into  the  corners. 

"  What  are  you  doing  that  for,  Maria  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  For  the  diez  y  ocho,  Seiiorita,"  was  the  reply. 

On  the  18th,  the  fort  and  all  the  men  of  war  in  the  har- 
bor fired  a  salute  at  sunrise  ;  and  at  six,  the  National  An- 
them was  sung  in  one  of  the  plazas,  by  a  hundred  little 
girls  in  white.  We  spent  that  day  at  the  house  of  a 
friend  in  the  country,  returning  in  time  for  the  ceremonies 
of  the  19th.  Early  in  the  morning  of  this  last  of  the 
diez  y  ocJio,  the  whole  population  of  Valparaiso  thronged  in 
holiday  attire  to  the  Plaza  Ancha  (broad  plaza),  where  a 
grand  military  review  was  held.     It  was  a  beautiful  spec- 


HOLIDAYS — NATIONAL   DANCE.  69 

tacle,  presented  in  full  view  of  the  great  Pacific — thou- 
sands of  military  marching  and  countermarching,  with 
music  and  streaming  flags  and  flashing  arms — men  and 
women  on  horseback  and  in  birlochos,  and  a  joyous  rout 
on  foot,  hurrying  hither  and  thither  with  the  restlessness 
of  crowds,  and  entering  and  emerging  from  the  innumer- 
able gay  refreshment-booths  that  dotted  the  plaza. 

This  is  the  great  day  for  the  country  people,  when  they 
display  their  horsemanship,  and  dance  the  Zamacueca,  the 
national  dance  of  Chili.  Pausing  in  front  of  one  of  the 
booths,  we  went  in  and  found  a  man  and  woman  from  the 
country  engaged  in  the  dance — he  with  spurs  and  poncho, 
and  she  in  a  Panama  hat,  gaily  trimmed  with  ribbons,  and 
her  long  riding-skirt  thrown  over  her  arm.  Two  women 
were  making  the  music  for  them — one  upon  a  rude  harp, 
and  the  other  upon  a  guitar,  accompanying  the  instru- 
ments with  strong,  nasal  voices,  while  a  man  beat  time 
with  his  palms  upon  a  board.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  the 
dance,  which  consists  of  a  succession  of  advancing  and  re- 
ceding steps,  the  dancers  alternately  pursuing  each  other, 
and  occasionally  twirling  a  handkerchief  in  the  right  hand. 

The  country  people  are  very  skilful  riders,  and  there  is 
no    feat   of  horsemanship   which   they   cannot   perform. 


70  HORSEMANSHIP — A   BALL. 

When  thej  are  a  little  excited  with  cJdcJia,  it  is  dangerous 
to  be  in  their  waj.  The  men  sometimes  run  their  horses 
at  full  speed  upon  a  mounted  gentleman,  and  as  thej  pass 
him,  catch  a  knee  inside  of  his,  and  unless  he  is  on  his 
guard,  unhorse  him  in  an  instant,  to  their  immense  delight. 
It  is  a  common  thing  to  see  women,  on  holidays,  racing 
together  on  horseback.  They  all  bring  their  horses  into 
line,  and  then  applying  the  whip,  set  off  at  a  furious  gal- 
lop. 

Octoher.  We  attended  a  great  national  ball  at  the  the- 
atre on  the  1st,  to  which  tickets,  admitting  a  gentleman 
and  his  family,  were  sold  at  one  Omice  ($17.25),  the 
courtesy  of  purchase  being  extended  only  to  guests  select- 
ed by  the  committee.  The  pit  of  the  theatre  was  floored 
and  carpeted,  and  the  first  tier  of  boxes,  screened  with  vel- 
vet hangings,  served  as  dressing-rooms,  while  flags  of  all 
nations  gracefully  draped  from  the  upper  gallery.  Two 
fine  bands  of  music  were  stationed  at  either  end  of  the 
room.  At  ten  o'clock,  when  we  arrived,  only  few  persons 
were  present,  but  at  eleven  the  dancing  commenced.  The 
appearance  of  the  guests  (many  of  whom  were  from  San 
tiago)  was  most  brilliant.  The  ladies  were  all  robed  in 
gauzes,  laces  and  silks,  made  in  the  latest  Parisian  mode. 


DRESSES — DANCING — CHRISTMAS.  71 

and  blazing  with  diamonds.  I  thought  the  most  tasteful 
dress  in  the  room  was  a  flounced  white  lace  wrought  in 
gold,  and  worn  over  white  silk,  with  golden  heads  of  wheat 
in  the  dark  hair  of  the  wearer.  OflScials,  native  and  for- 
eign, in  their  rich  uniforms,  contributed  to  the  splendor  of 
the  scene. 

Waltzes,  gallopades,  mazurkas,  and  quadrilles  were  the 
dances — the  quadrille,  with  the  ends  and  sides  sometimes 
doubled  and  trebled.  At  twelve  o'clock  a  room  for  the  re- 
freshments of  tea  and  cakes  was  thrown  open,  and  at  two  a 
magnificent  supper  was  set,  consisting  of  every  delicacy 
to  be  obtained  in  the  country.  At  four  in  the  morning, 
we  retired  among  the  first — several  urging  us  to  remain 
for  another  supper.  On  the  first  floor,  tables  were  spread 
with  cold  meats  and  liquors,  which  were  kept  replenished 
for  gentlemen  all  night. 

December.  On  Christmas  we  attended  midnight  mass 
at  the  church  of  La  Matriz.  Arraying  ourselves  in  black, 
with  black  shawls  drawn  over  our  heads,  we  entered  the 
brilliantly  lighted  church,  which  we  found  densely  crowded 
with  kneeling  men  and  women.  Struggling  with  the  wor- 
shippers to  the  centre  of  the  church,  we  stood  there  until 
exhausted,  when  an  old  woman  kindly  shared  her  mat  with 


72  MIDNIGHT   MASS — AN   EXECUTION. 

US.  The  ceremonies  continued  for  two  hours — consisting 
of  a  sermon  and  the  peculiar  forms  of  the  church.  {U71 
passant — all  Chileno  crowds,  religious  and  secular,  are  dis- 
tinguished by  two  things  :  an  overpowering  stench  of  gar- 
lic, and  the  presence  of  innumerable  fleas.)  Outside  of 
the  church,  during  the  ceremony,  boys  and  men  were 
blowing  horns  and  springing  rattles,  and  making  every 
other  hideous  noise  imaginable. 

Mai/.  On  the  27th,  a  murderer  was  shot  in  the  Plaza  del 
Orden,  which  lies  at  the  foot  of  our  hill.  Thousands  as- 
sembled on  the  hill-sides,  house-tops,  and  every  available 
spot  to  witness  the  execution.  The  criminal,  clothed  in  a 
long  white  robe,  and  accompanied  by  three  holy  fathers, 
■was  led  to  a  post,  seated  with  his  back  against  it,  and  his 
body  and  arms  tied  to  it.  Eight  soldiers  were  drawn  up 
in  front,  and  at  a  signal,  four  of  them  fired  at  his  heart — 
a  drooping  of  his  head  was  the  only  preceptible  motion 
that  followed  the  discharge.  I  had  no  intention  of  wit- 
nessing so  horrible  a  spectacle,  but  looking  with  a  glass  to 
see  how  the  man  was  secured,  the  soldiers  fired  before  I 
could  withdraw  my  eyes.  This  is  the  mode  of  execution 
in  Chili. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Ox  the  4th  of  September,  1855,  we  left  Valparaiso  for 
a  brief  visit  to  Santiago,  the  Chilian  capital,  where  we 
proposed  to  spend  the  diez  y  ocho.  Until  within  a  year,  bir- 
lochos  had  been  the  only  means  of  conveyance  for  persons 
going  to  the  capital,  but  now  the  journey  was  made  by  a 
regular  daily  line  of  coaches,  established  by  an  American, 
and  furnished  with  Yankee  stages  and  Yankee  drivers. 
The  departure  of  the  coach  was  always  a  great  event  at 
Valparaiso — a  crowd  of  ever-astonished  Chilenos  assembling 
every  day  to  witness  the  phenomenon  of  one  man  driving 
six  horses. 

The  transportation  of  merchandise  and  other  freight 
from  Valparaiso  to  Santiago  is  effected  by  means  of  enor- 
mous ox-carts,  bamboo-bodied,  and  roofed  with  hide.  They 
are  usually  drawn  by  three  yoke — the  leading  yoke  to  be 
detached  and  hitched  to  the  tail  of  the  cart  as  a  "  hold- 
back "  in  descendinor  the  hills. 


74  START   FOR    SANTIAGO. 

We  quitted  Valparaiso  at  noon,  having  quite  a  cosmo- 
politan company  of  passengers — three  Peruvians,  two  Ital- 
ians, one  half-Chileno,  and  four  Americans.  Passing  out 
at  the  east  of  the  city,  we  ascended  the  rising  road  until 
we  had  reached  an  elevation  of  thirteen  hundred  feet, 
whence  we  looked  back  upon  the  dusty  city  beneath  us, 
and  the  bay  flashing  in  the  sun  and  flecked  with  far,  white 
sails,  while  upon  the  right,  the  snow-crested  Aconcagua 
lifted  its  stately  peak,  about  which  hovered  a  blush  of  faint, 
delicious  crimson. 

The  face  of  these  hills  is  barren — but  for  now  and  then 
a  nook  of  green  where  a  tall,  solitary  palm  lifts  its  graceful 
head  above  a  little  stream,  and  with  here  and  there  a  wide- 
armed,  stone  wind-mill,  gives  to  the  desolate  landscape  its 
only  element  of  the  picturesque. 

After  a  descent  of  some  five  miles,  we  arrived  at  a  little 
posada,  or  country  inn,  where  we  exchanged  our  six  tired 
horses  for  four  fresh  ones,  and  continued  our  journey. 
The  recent  rains  had  made  fresh  and  green  the  fields  that, 
two  months  hence,  would  be  parched  and  brown  with  heat ; 
and  now  the  south  wind  blew  so  strong  and  cool,  that  we 
were  obliged  to  close  the  coach-windows. 

At  six  o'clock  we  reached  Casa  Blanca,  thirty  miles 


A   POSADA. 


75 


from  Valparaiso.  The  posada  here  is  kept  by  an  English 
couple,  to  whom  we  were  introduced  by  a  fellow-passen- 
ger. They  received  us  with  cordiality,  and  took  us  into 
their  own  part  of  the  inn,  where  we  fared  better  than  if 
left  to  the  mercies  of  the  servants  in  the  travelers'  rooms. 
The  posada  is  a  one-story  house,  comfortable,  pleasantly 
furnished,  and  with  actually  a  carpet  on  the  parlor  floor. 
As  the  night  was  cool,  a  large  hrasero  was  kept  burning 
in  our  room,  and  we  had  a  good  English  supper  of  beef- 
steak, eggs,  toast  and  tea.  The  eating,  I  say,  >Yas  Eng- 
lish— the  sleeping  was  decidedly  Chileno,  in  a  forhrn  brick- 
floored,  dirtily  carpeted  room,  upon  hard,  narrow  beds, 
which  I  ache  to  remember. 

Casa  Blanca  is  situated  upon  an  elevated  plain,  and 
contains  about  two  thousand  inhabitants.  The  road  to 
Santiago  (which  forms  the  principal  street)  is  lined  on 
either  side  with  Lombardy  poplars  for  miles. 

We  were  on  the  road  again  at  four  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing, and  traveled  until  daylight  over  a  level  country, 
which  then  began  to  grow  more  rolling.  The  road,  the 
hill-sides  and  plains,  in  some  places,  are  covered  with 
shrubs,  giant  cactuses,  and  espino  trees,  which  resemble 
old  apple  trees.     The  road  was  thronged  with  ox-carts, 


76  INCIDENTS    OF   TRAVEL. 

and  men  and  women  on  horseback — the  women  riding  the 
native  saddle,  which  has  a  back  and  no  horns,  and  sitting 
on  the  wrong  side,  their  bodies  at  right  angles  with  the 
horses'  head.  Among  other  wayfarers  were  chicken-mer- 
chants, driving  mules,  each  laden  with  a  large  coop. 
These  poulterers,  in  traveling,  stop  on  the  plains  near  a 
stream,  let  their  chickens  out,  feed  them,  drive  them  to 
water — and  have  all  the  life  of  the  barn-yard  about  them. 
Then  restoring  the  fowls  to  their  coops,  they  set  off  again. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  reached  Melipilla,  a  town  of  one- 
story  adobe  houses,  white-washed  and  tile-roofed.  It  con- 
tains nearly  eight  thousand  inhabitants,  and  is  a  place  of 
considerable  wealth.  Here  we  had  a  miserable  breakfast 
of  cazuela  and  coffee.  Cazuela  is  a  national  dish,  used 
everywhere  in  Chili,  and  is  a  sort  of  stew  made  of  chicken 
commonly  (though  sometimes  of  other  meats),  with  po- 
tatoes, rice  and  green  peas. 

From  Melipilla  to  Santiago  is  an  almost  imperceptible 
ascent.  The  sides  of  the  road  are  lined  with  ditches  of 
running  water,  and  bordered  by  long  rows  of  poplars  and 
mud  walls.  The  walls  are  made  of  mud  taken  from  the 
ditch,  packed  in  a  frame,  and  turned  out  until  the  wall  is 
of  sufficient  height ;  they  are  then  sometimes  roofed  with 


FARM    SCENERY.  77 

tile,  and  make  excellent  fencing,  in  a  climate  where  there 
is  no  frost  to  crack  them.  Other  fences  are  made  of 
stakes  interlaced  with  espino  bushes. 

The  poplar  trees  grow  readily  from  cuttings,  and  are 
planted  so  thickly  that,  when  thej  are  of  full  size,  thej  are 
not  more  than  two  feet  apart.  Occasionally  we  saw  a 
ranclio  or  farm-house  by  the  road  side,  built  of  adobes^  or 
of  sticks  and  mud,  and  thatched  with  straw.  Stopping  at 
one  of  them  to  change  horses,  we  entered.  The  ground 
served  for  a  floor ;  there  was  a  rude  bedstead  in  one  cor- 
ner of  the  room,  and  three  or  four  chairs  ;  a  fire  of  char- 
coal was  burning  on  the  ground,  and  over  it  stood  a 
long-legged  iron  pot,  and  near  this  a  couple  of  round,  red- 
dish earthen  jars,  the  sole  cooking  utensils.  Two  or  three 
women  were  standing  about,  with  apparently  nothing  to  do. 
They  were  polite  and  hospitable — asking  if  we  were  going 
to  Santiago  to  spend  the  diez  y  ocho,  wishing  us  enjoyment, 
and  presenting  us  with  oranges.  Near  the  hut,  a  few  ap- 
ple, pear  and  peach  trees  were  in  bloom. 

We  saw  a  few  country-seats — large,  low  houses,  sur- 
rounded with  fruit  trees.  These  places  are  the  residences 
of  the  hacendados,  or  landed  proprietors,  and  all  have 
distinguished  names,  such  as  San  Pedro,  Sand  Isidro,  etc. 


78  ARRIVAL    AT    SANTIAGO. 

For  miles  along  the  road  on  either  hand  stretched  bound- 
less fields  of  clover,  in  which  thousands  of  cattle  were 
feeding. 

At  four  in  the  afternoon,  passing  through  the  low  sub- 
urbs of  Santiago,  we  drove  up  in  front  of  a  pair  of  wide 
iron  gates — the  entrance  to  the  Hotel  Ingles — a  large 
building  in  the  Plaza  de  la  Independencia  ;  here  we  found 
our  rooms  (engaged  three  weeks  before)  very  comfort- 
able. They  opened  upon  an  inner  patio  and  the  corridor, 
from  which  latter  the  giant  crests  of  the  Andes  were  visi- 
ble. That  evening  we  feasted  our  vision  upon  a  scene 
of  sublimity  and  beauty  that  alone  repaid  us  a  thousand- 
fold for  all  we  had  endured  in  coming  to  Chili.  The  sun 
was  sinking  in  the  west,  and  flashing  his  last  crimson  rays 
upon  those  majestic  peaks,  whose  snows  gleamed  and 
sparkled  in  the  tender  light,  as  the  broad  white  wings 
of  hovering  angels  might  shine,  in  the  descent  from  hea- 
ven. But  even  as  we  looked,  the  glories  of  the  scene 
passed  away,  the  sun  sank  beneath  the  horizon,  and  the 
mountains  rose,  pale  and  phantom-like,  in  the  deepening 
twilight. 

Santiago,  seven  miles  square,  lies  on  a  plain  at  the  foot 
of  the  Andes — several  spurs  of  which  are  inclosed  within 


CITY   OF    SANTIAGO.  79 

the  city  limits.  Santa  Lucia,  a  pyramidal  bill  of  rock,  rises 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  plaza.  It  is 
crowned  with  a  mass  of  prismatic  porphyry,  inchning  at 
an  angle  of  fortj'-five  degrees,  looking  as  if  the  first  tem- 
blor would  precipitate  it  upon  the  houses  below.  This  hill 
is  the  site  of  the  observatory  established  by  Lieutenant 
Gillis,  on  the  part  of  our  government,  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  astronomical  observations.  On  the  sides  of  the  hill 
are  forts  now  disused. 

The  river  Mapocho  divides  the  city,  [n  the  dry  season 
there  is  a  small  quantity  of  water  flowing  through  many 
channels ;  during  the  winter,  the  rains  raise  the  river  to  a 
rapid  and  angry  flood.  High  breakwaters  are  built  on 
either  side  of  the  stream  to  prevent  inundations,  which  have 
destroyed  a  large  part  of  the  city.  The  river  is  spanned 
by  a  massive  stone  bridge  of  eleven  arches,  built  in  the 
year  1775,  which  is  650  feet  long,  and  wide  enough  for 
footways,  and  the  passage  of  two  carts  abreast.  The 
roadway  is  paved  with  stone,  and  upon  each  abutment  on 
the  stream  are  little  brick  towers,  originally  intended  as 
guard-houses,  to  protect  the  bridge  against  Indians,  but 
are  now  used  as  shops,  where  edibles  of  all  descriptions 
are  sold. 


80  THE   PATIOS. 

The  streets  of  Santiago  are  comparatively  wide,  and 
are  paved  Avith  round  stones.  They  were  lighted  with  oil 
when  we  were  there,  but  gas  was  soon  to  be  introduced. 
The  buildings  are  mostly  of  adobe,  and  roofed  with  tile — 
seldom  exceeding  one  story  in  height — a  circumstance  that 
of  course  conduces  to  safety  in  earthquakes.  Building 
stone  is  abundant,  but  the  mechanics  are  not  skilful  in 
working  it.  The  houses  of  the  wealthy  are  constructed  in 
the  Spanish  fashion,  with  patios  inclosed  by  the  different 
apartments  of  the  house,  and  usually  filled  with  flower- 
ing shrubs,  having  a  magnolia  or  some  other  fine  tree 
in  the  centre.  The  entrance  is  by  means  of  large  iron 
gates,  broad  and  high  enough  to  admit  a  mail-coach,  which 
are  left  open  by  day,  and  closed  at  night.  In  several  of  the 
houses  we  visited,  the  stable  was  on  one  side  of  the  gates, 
and  the  porter's  room  on  the  other.  Passing  through  the 
2?atio  we  entered  the  parlors,  beyond  which  was  another 
patio,  filled  with  plants,  and  accessible  from  the  dining- 
room  and  bedchambers  —  and  those  with  the  servants' 
rooms  and  kitchens  sometimes  inclosed  a  third  patio.  In 
the  first,  just  before  the  parlor  windows,  the  carriage  was 
cleaned  and  the  horses  harnessed.  The  patios  are  paved 
with  round  pebbles  from  the  Mapocho,  and  have  in  the 


ARCHITECTURE  OP  SANTIAGO.  81 

centre,  sometimes  a  fanciful  figure,  or  a  date,  formed  of 
the  extremities  of  the  leg  bones  of  mules.  The  houses  are 
very  unpretending  in  appearance  outside,  as  the  building 
material  does  not  admit  of  much  architectural  display. 
Square  tiles  laid  upon  the  ground  are  universally  used  for 
flooring,  while  the  ceilings  are  always  of  board,  for  plas- 
tering would  be  shaken  off  by  earthquakes.  The  walls 
are  plastered  with  mud,  and  then  every  apartment  is  pa- 
pered. Within  doors,  every  luxury  that  wealth  can  pro- 
cure, the  rich  have.  Furniture  is  brought  from  France  ; 
— one  Chileno  of  whom  I  heard,  furnished  two  parlors 
with  Parisian  furniture,  at  an  expense  of  thirty-four  thou- 
sand dollars. 

Some  of  the  public  buildings  of  Santiago  are  very  fine. 
A  new  theatre,  building  while  we  were  there,  was  to  be 
the  largest  in  the  world.  A  penitentiary  recently  finished, 
is  two  miles  from  the  city.  It  is  built  of  brick,  in  octagon 
form,  inclosing  a  court  which  serves  for  a  chapel.  There 
are  cells  for  five  hundred  and  thirty  prisoners.  Of  course, 
the  building  is  only  one  story  in  height.  The  mint,  built 
in  Doric  style,  is  the  most  imposing  public  edifice.  In 
this  the  President  of  Chili  resides.     A  noticeable  building 

is  the  Portal,  on  one  of  the  plazas — an  immense  affair,  in 
6 


82  SHOPS — THE    CATHEDRAL. 

"which  most  of  the  splendid  shops  are  to  be  found,  and 
where  every  thing  that  can  be  imported  is  for  sale. 

There  are  many  churches,  but  none  of  them  remarkable 
for  beauty.  The  Cathederal  is  an  imposing  edifice,  of 
gray  granite,  fronting  on  the  principal  plaza.  Although 
one  hundred  years  old,  it  is  not  yet  finished,  and  workmen 
were  still  engaged  upon  it  when  we  were  there.  Two 
rows  of  columns  support  the  roof,  within.  There  are  six- 
teen altars  in  the  side-aisles,  and  one  lofty  shrine  in  the 
centre  of  the  building,  w^hich  is  richly  decorated  with 
massive  silver  candlesticks,  silver  vases,  silver  frames  on 
which  to  rest  the  books  of  prayer, — and  over  all,  resting 
upon  a  heavy  silver  cornice,  a  canopy  of  the  same  precious 
metal.  Under  one  of  the  aisles  lie  buried  three  bishops, 
whose  enormous  shovel  hats,  begrimmed  with  dust  are  sus- 
pended from  the  roof  above  the  sepulchres. 

As  we  sauntered  through  the  building,  we  were  accosted 
by  a  young  man  apparently  in  office  there,  who  asked  us 
if  we  would  like  to  see  a  relic  ;  we  were  anxious,  of  course, 
and  a  curtain  was  drawn  aside  from  a  little  recess,  where 
we  beheld  a  recumbent  skeleton,  of  small  size,  brown  with 
age,  and  decorated  with  gauze,  tinsel,  and  faded  flowers. 
This,  we  were  assured,  was  Saint  Mark.     There  are  extant 


RELICS — A    COUNTRY-SEAT.  83 

several  skeletons  of  this  Evangelist,  but  we  were  very  glad 
to  see  one.  Upon  a  table  in  front  of  every  church  in 
Santiago,  stands  a  figure  of  the  Virgin,  with  a  little  box  for 
alms.  The  interiors  of  the  churches  are  ornamented  with 
figures  of  saints,  the  Virgin,  and  the  Saviour — the  latter 
often  depicted  in  agonies  of  death  upon  the  cross. 

In  a  chapel  adjoining  the  Cathedral,  we  were  shown  a 
splendid  painting  of  Pope  Pius  Ninth,  which  was  ordered 
in  Italy  for  Louis  Phillippe,  but  was  not  finished  before 
his  flight  from  France,  when  it  was  purchased  by  a  gentle- 
man and  presented  to  this  Cathedral.  There  are  said 
to  be  three  thousand  priests  in  Santiago. 

One  morning,  an  American  gentleman,  who  has  long 
been  a  resident  of  the  place,  came  for  us  with  his  carriage, 
and  took  us  three  miles  into  the  country,  to  his  Quinta,  or 
country-seat.  The  mansion  was  one  story,  large  in  di- 
mensions, and  square  in  shape,  with  large  rooms  plainly 
furnished.  A  corridor  ran  along  the  western  side  of  the 
house.  The  kitchen  was  a  hut,  about  forty  feet  from 
the  dining-room  door.  A  broad  avenue  of  poplars  led 
from  the  road  to  the  house,  through  massive  gates,  near 
which  stood  a  thatched  porter's  lodge,  with  squalid  chil- 
dren lying  about  in  the  sun. 


84  A   FAIR — SEWERAGE — WATER-WORKS. 

The  first  industrial  exhibition  was  held  during  our  stay 
in  Santiago.  The  show  was  very  poor — consisting  for  the 
most  part  of  a  few  flowers,  specimens  of  embroidery,  and 
poor  paintings.  A  noticeable  feature  was  a  figure  of  the 
Saviour,  of  life  size,  habited  in  flowing  robes,  and  wearing 
under  the  crown  of  thorns,  long  curls  of  brown  ribbons. 

The  sewerage  of  the  city  consists  of  ditches  in  the  mid- 
dle of  alternate  streets,  in  which  the  garbage  from  the 
houses  is  thrown  ;  at  eight  o'clock  every  evening  water  is 
let  into  the  ditches  from  gates  in  the  Tajomar  above  the 
city,  which  rushes  rapidly  along,  and  carries  all  the  filth 
into  the  river  below.  At  right  angles  with  these  ditches 
are  others  passing  under  the  rows  of  houses  between  the 
guttered  streets.  Although  this  system  of  sewerage  is 
good,  the  carelessness  of  officials  often  permits  the  drains 
to  become  clogged,  and  the  stench  becomes  intolerable. 

The  city  has  command  of  an  unlimited  supply  of  water, 
but  the  earthern  pipes  that  convey  it  are  constantly  out  of 
order,  and  the  water  is  turbid.  The  rich  have  filters  made 
of  a  kind  of  porous  stone  abounding  on  the  coast  north 
of  Caquimbo.  Dripping  through  these  filters  into  earthen 
jars,  the  water  in  this  dry  climate  becomes  so  cool  that  no 
ice  is  necessary.     For  purposes  of  luxury,  snow  mixed 


SNOW  LUXURIES — HOSPITALS.  85 

with  hail  is  brought  into  the  citj  daily  from  the  Andes,  a 
distance  of  four  leagues,  on  mules  which  carry  fifty  pounds 
each,  inclosed  in  straw  between  frames  of  hide  net-work. 
It  is  used  for  making  ices, — of  which  the  favorite  is  water 
ice,  flavored  with  coffee  or  chocolate. 

Fronting  the  Canada  is  the  Hospital  of  San  Juan  de 
Dias,  with  accommodations  for  six  hundred  patients.  It 
is  spaciously  and  comfortably  arranged,  but  the  rooms  are 
badly  ventilated.  San  Francisco  de  Borja  is  a  hospital 
for  women,  with  accommodations  for  five  hundred.  It  is 
not  so  well  contrived  in  any  respect  as  the  other.  There 
is  a  foundling  hospital  in  Santiago,  where  infants  are  left 
day  and  night,  without  any  possibility  of  detection  from 
within,  by  means  of  a  revolving  box,  in  a  wall,  and  a  tap  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  porter  ;  the  box  is  turned  within,  and 
the  babe  is  received,  never  more  to  be  recognized  by  the  one 
who  leaves  it.  Almost  five  hundred  children  are  thus  an- 
nually abandoned  by  their  parents  in  Santiago.  "  As  the 
convents,"  says  Lieut.  Gillis,  in  his  interesting  work  on 
Chili,  "  are  barred  to  all  persons  of  the  male  sex  (and  in- 
deed to  the  female  also),  except  the  Archbishop,  the  Doc- 
tor, and  to  the  new  President,  for  a  single  visit,  I  took 
occasion  to  examine  the    arrangements  of  their  intended 


86  CONVENTS — THE  NUNS. 

domicil  before  they  moved  into  it.  The  apartments  open 
on  long  corridors,  which  communicate  with  extensive  cham- 
bers for  the  use  of  the  Abbess,  and  in  bad  weather  afford 
them  places  for  exercise.  Each  nun  has  a  small  sitting- 
room,  a  dormitory,  and  a  servants'  room,  with  conveniences 
for  cooking,  washing,  and  stowage  of  houshold  necessities,  a 
stream  of  water  passing  through  the  premises  of  every  one. 

"  The  luxuriously  disposed  keep  a  servant,  who  is  free 
to  return  to  the  world  when  tired  of  cloistral  labor,  but  is 
not  at  liberty  to  go  back  and  forth  each  day. 

"  For  the  supply  of  their  necessities,  a  sort  of  market 
is  held  daily,  in  a  court  of  their  property  specially  provi- 
ded, and  hither  are  brought  for  sale,  provisions  and  mate- 
rials, and  such  articles  as  their  industry  embraces.  Nei- 
ther purchaser  nor  seller  sees  the  §ther,  but  the  commodity 
offered  is  placed  within  one  of  the  recesses  of  a  turnstile, 
filling  an  aperture  of  the  wall,  and  if  accepted,  its  value 
is  returned  in  the  same  manner. 

"  Many  of  the  nuns  are  skilled  in  needle-work,  and  in 
making  ornamental  pastilles,  fancy  toys  of  earthen-ware, 
and  confectionery  of  various  kinds,  in  the  sale  of  which 
they  employ  servants  outside. 

*'  In  1850,  the  convent  numbered  75  nuns,  and  176 
seculars." 


CAPUCHINS — THE   CEMETERY.  87 

I  was  told  that  in  one  convent  of  the  Capuchins,  ap- 
plicants are  only  received  upon  the  payment  of  two  thou- 
sand five  hunderd  dollars.  They  sleep  in  holes  made  in 
the  earth  of  the  size  of  their  bodies,  with  a  cloth  around 
them,  and  a  stone  for  a  pillow.  If  they  encounter,  when 
walking  in  their  yard,  their  salutation  is :  "  We  are  to 
die,"  and  "  We  know  it."  Many  of  them  die  early  from 
the  hardships  of  such  a  life,  and  their  money  goes  to  the 
institution. 

There  are  seven  monasteries  and  eight  convents  in  San- 
tiago, wherein  five  hundred  women  are  shut  out  from  the 
world. 

The  cemetery  is  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  plaza. 
About  fifteen  acres  of  ground,  inclosed  by  high  walls,  are 
divided  into  lots  by  iron  railings,  for  monuments,  families, 
and  the  poor.  In  the  cemetery  are  a  chapel  and  buildings 
for  workmen,  a  pretty  garden,  and  rows  of  cypress  trees. 
There  are  a  few  handsome  mausoleums  of  marble,  one  of 
which  is  surmounted  by  a  nude  figure  of  Grief,  executed 
in  white  marble.  By  an  order  of  the  Archbishop,  this 
statue  has  been  covered  with  a  petticoat  of  white  cloth, 
from  the  waist  to  the  knees.     As  at  Valpariso,  there  are 


88  NATIONAL   INSTITUTE. 

perpetual  sepulchres,  graves  for  one  year,  and  for  the 
poor  the  bone-pit. 

In  regard  to  education  in  Santiago,  I  quote  Lieut.  Gillis, 
who  sajs : 

"  The  National  Institute  numbers  900  pupils,  of  whom 
260  are  internos,  and  live  wholly  within  its  walls.  The 
remainder  are  day  scholars.  To  conduct  the  establishment 
there  is  a  rector,  a  vice-rector,  and  thirty- six  professors, 
all  receiving  their  appointment  and  pay  from  government. 

"  Instruction  is  free  to  all — the  internos  only  being  sub- 
ject to  $150  per  annum  for  their  board.  Corporal  punish- 
ment is  not  permitted.  Among  the  gravest  oflfenses  speci- 
fied are,  not  retiring  at  the  appointed  hour,  leaving  the 
Institute  without  permission,  and  neglect  to  confess  at  the 
appointed  times;  among  the  lightest  are  uncleanliness, 
and  disrespect  to  their  companions.  Latin,  Greek,  Eng- 
lish, French,  arithmetic,  algebra,  trigonometry,  geography, 
cosmography,  drawing,  history,  rhetoric,  and  moral  phi 
losophy ;  religion,  music  and  the  elements  of  physics,  chem- 
istry, mineralogy  and  natural  history  are  taught. 

"  The  course  occupies  six  years.  Connected  with  the  In- 
stitute is  a  normal  school  under  the  direction  of  the  Minis- 
ter of  Public  Instruction  ;  twenty-eight  young  men  are 


PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.  89 

prepared  here  as  teachers  for  the  provinces.  The  course 
occupies  three  years,  vaccination  being  one  of  the  subjects 
of  instruction.  There  are  a  number  of  boarding  and  day 
schools,  under  the  direction  of  convents  and  individuals, 
which  are  well  patronized.  Besides  these,  there  are  thir- 
ty-five primary  institutions  at  the  cost  of  the  municipality. 
The  last,  as  almost  all  the  day-schools  for  the  humbler 
class,  are  held  in  rooms  badly  lighted,  and  worse  ventila- 
ted, of  whose  vicinity  one  becomes  aware  at  a  long  dis- 
tance, by  the  loud  voices  of  all  the  children  conning  their 
lessons  at  the  same  time." 

There  are,  in  the  Republic  of  Chili,  without  counting 
Araucanian  Indians,  1,439,120  inhabitants,  of  whom  there 
are  13,250  more  women  than  men.  Of  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Republic,  123,437  men,  and  70,461  women,  can 
read ;  total,  183,898— leaving  1,225,222  individuals  of 
both  sexes  who  cannot  read. 

An  academy  was  established  in  1842  for  the  education 
of  officers  destined  to  service  in  the  army  and  navy.  Sixty 
cadets  are  educated  at  the  expense  of  the  State,  but  super- 
numeraries are  admitted,  and  the  number  of  actual  students 
of  the  academy  is  twice  that  expressed  in  the  statutes. 
There  are  besides  schools  under  government  patronage,  for 


90  LIBRARY — NEWSPAPERS. 

instruction  in  the  mechanic  arts,  agriculture,  painting  and 
music.  The  national  library  at  the  capital  contains  about 
twenty-one  thousand  volumes,  which  are  accessible  to  the 
public  from  ten  till  one  every  day.  No  one  is  permitted 
to  remove,  a  volume  from  the  building,  though  every  facility 
is  afforded  for  making  extracts. 

In  the  way  of  journals,  there  was,  when  we  visited  San- 
tiag,  one  netvspaper,  El  Auracano^  as  large  as  one  of  our 
smallest  dailies.  It  is  the  official  organ,  and  rarely  pub- 
lishes any  thing  but  laws  and  decrees,  and  the  reports  of 
congressional  proceedings.  Two  small  monthly  periodi- 
cals were  devoted,  one  to  the  Catholic  religion,  and  one  to 
musical  and  dramatic  criticisms. 

Yery  few  foreigners,  beside  the  diplomatic  corps  of  some 
four  or  five  countries,  reside  in  Santiago,  and  the  streets 
present  an  appearance  very  different  from  that  of  the  port 
at  Valparaiso,  where  there  is  much  of  the  bustle  and  ac- 
tivity of  one  of  our  American  cities.  Early  in  the  mor- 
ning the  women,  in  their  black  dresses  and  montos,*  throng 
the  streets  on  their  way  to  mass,  and  hundreds  of  peones 
from  the  country,  noisily  cry  their  wares.  As  noon  ap- 
proaches, the  heat  of  the  sun  drives  every  body  within 

*  A  large  black  shawl  worn  over  the  head  and  shoulders.  No  other 
color  than  black  is  ever  worn  to  church. 


THE   CANADA. 


91 


doors,  vrhere  the  people  remain  until  its  declining  rajs  per- 
mit them  to  issue  forth  again.  Night  and  day  the  clangor 
of  church  bells  is  incessant — as  if  it  were  a  dogma  of  the 
mother  church  to  make  all  the  clashing  possible,  and  to  de- 
stroy the  slumber  of  heretic  foreigners. 

All  Spanish  cities  are  much  alike,  whether  in  the  old  or 
new  world — one  of  their  invariable  features  is  an  avenue 
adorned  with  trees,  for  promenading.  The  Alemeda  or 
Canada  of  Santiago,  is  a  broad  walk  about  two  miles  in 
extent,  with  seats  at  intervals,  under  the  triple  lines  of 
poplars  on  either  side,  of  which  the  roots  are  bathed  with 
streams  of  running  water  from  the  mountains.  Streets  five 
hundred  feet  in  breadth,  lie  between  the  poplars  and  the 
houses.  Hither  in  the  twilight  or  the  moonlight  comes  the 
fair  Santiaguina  to  promenade  and  display  her  finery — of- 
ten wearing  in  the  summer  a  full  ball  costume.  In  these 
charming  avenues,  people  meet  their  acquaintances,  sit  or 
walk,  as  they  choose,  and  enjoy  social  intercourse  in  the 
pure  air,  with  the  glorious  mountains  in  full  view.  A 
walk  in  the  Canada  is  the  daily  custom  when  the  weather 
permits.  On  either  side  of  the  avenues,  the  ton  dash  up 
and  down  in  their  carriages,  with  coachmen  and  footmen 
in  livery.     Indeed,  no  family  in  Santiago  can  pretend  to 


92  CELEBRATION    OF   THE   DIEZ   Y   OCHO. 

respectability  without  keeping  a  carriage,  and  many  of 
the  equipages,  imported  from  France  and  England,  are 
magnificent. 

The  17th  of  October  was  ushered  in  by  the  firing  of 
cannons  from  the  forts  on  Santa  Lucia,  which  simultane- 
ously displayed  the  national  flag,  and  soon  the  city  was 
gay  with  the  banners  that  fluttered  from  every  house-top. 
This  patriotism  is  in  part  compulsory,  for  there  is  a  fine  of 
from  one  to  twenty  dollars  for  failure  to  show  a  flag. 
Foreign  ministers  raise  the  colors  of  their  respective  gov- 
ernments, but  resident  foreigners,  undistinguished  by  of- 
ficial rank,  are  allowed  to  flaunt  none  but  the  Chileno  stan- 
dard. 

On  the  18th,  at  sunrise,  the  national  air  was  sung  by 
one  hundred  little  boys  and  girls,  in  the  Plaza  de  la  Inde- 
pendencia.  At  noon  there  was  a  grand  misa  de  gracia  in 
the  Cathedral.  All  the  foreign  diplomats  (many  of  them 
in  superb  military  dress)  were  present.  The  President 
arrived  in  his  coach-and-four,  escorted  by  a  battalion  of 
soldiers,  and  a  detachment  of  cadets  from  the  national 
military  academy,  who  formed  his  body-guard.  Entering 
the  church,  he  seated  himself  in  a  large  chair  covered 
with  crimson  and  gold,  in  the  main  aisle,  fronting  the  cen- 


THE   PRESIDENT   AT    CHURCH — A   REVIEW.  93 

tral  altar — two  of  the  cadets,  with  fixed  bayonets,  taking 
position  on  either  side.  His  Excellency  was  dressed  in 
plain  black  frock  coat  and  trousers,  with  a  tri-color  scarf 
passing  over  his  shoulder,  and  having  a  chapeau  plumed 
"with  one  white  ostrich  feather.  As  part  of  the  ceremony, 
the  President  was  presented  with  a  book  and  cross  to  kiss  ; 
the  osculation  being  repeated  by  each  of  the  officials, 
while  at  the  same  time  they  were  all  fumigated  with  in- 
cense. 

The  ceremonies  occupied  two  hours,  and  the  evening 
closed  with  illuminations,  and  a  grand  display  of  fireworks 
on  the  plaza. 

On  the  20th,  the  President  reviewed  the  troops — the 
plain  Pampilla^  two  miles  from  Santiago,  being  used  an- 
nually for  military  reviews,  which  are  always  a  great  spec- 
tacle to  the  thousands,  who  flock  to  witness  them  from 
country  and  city.  As  we  passed  through  the  streets  on 
our  way  to  the  Painpilla,  every  thing  wore  a  holiday  as- 
pect. Gay  crowds  thronged  the  way,  and  the  pulperias 
and  confectionery  shops  swarmed  with  customers.  Mean- 
while, the  guasos  and  guasitos,  or  country  lads  and  lasses, 
galloped  from  their  homes  to  the  parade  ground  on  horse- 
back, and  country  families  soberly  followed  in  their  primi- 


94       COUNTRY  PEOPLE — PARADE  GROUND. 

tive  carriages — a  kind  of  cart,  of  'which  the  body  and 
roof  are  made  of  boards,  or  bamboo  and  hide,  with  win- 
dows in  the  side,  and  curtains  shielding  the  openings  in 
front  and  rear — while  the  interior  is  made  comfortable 
with  hides.  This  vehicle  is  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen, 
whose  driver,  with  his  conical  straw  hat,  poncho,  and  goad 
fifteen  feet  long,  is  a  cos  a  de  ver.  Sometimes  notes  of  the 
guitar,  accompanied  with  very  bad  singing,  proceeded 
from  these  carriages. 

On  the  grounds  we  found  some  six  or  seven  thousand 
military  drawn  up  in  front  of  two  lines  of  ox-carts,  at  least 
a  mile  in  extent,  with  sufficient  room  between  them  for 
promenading  and  riding.  Awnings  were  stretched  from 
cart  to  cart,  forming  booths,  where  cakes,  fruit  and  chiclia 
were  sold,  harps  twangled,  and  the  cueea  danced,  while 
mounted  peddlers,  with  panniers  of  every  conceivable  com- 
modity— guasos  dashing  about  at  fearful  speed — beggars 
on  horseback — and  carriages  filled  with  joyous  people,  con- 
tributed to  form  a  scene  of  rare  confusion  and  gayety. 

At  two  o'clock,  the  President  and  his  staff"  arrived ;  the 
review  took  place,  and  the  troops,  after  a  grand  feu  de 
joie,  marched  back  to  the  city,  followed  by  an  immense 


WEALTH    OF  SANTIAGO.  95 

crowd,  while  thousands  of  the  country  people  renaained  on 
the  Pampilla,  for  a  week  of  frolic  and  carousal. 

In  the  evening,  we  walked  in  the  Alemeda,  which  was 
thronged  with  six  or  seven  thousand  promenaders,  while 
elegant  dresses,  with  the  brilliant  uniforms  of  the  naval 
and  army  officers,  and  the  state  dresses  of  the  foreign 
diplomats,  made  the  beautiful  avenue  gayer  than  ever. 

Santiago  is  immensely  rich — richer  perhaps,  according 
to  its  population  of  130,000,  than  any  other  city  on  this 
continent.  The  Chileno  has  few  inducements  to  travel  in 
his  own  country,  and  little  ambition  to  go  abroad.  The 
great  object  of  life  is  to  accumulate  wealth,  and  remove  to 
the  capital,  to  lavish  it  in  costly  furniture,  equipage,  and 
splendid  living. 

As  Santiago  is  more  elevated  than  Valparaiso,  it  is  sub- 
ject to  greater  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  ;  and  during  the 
hot  months  of  December,  January  and  February,  the  rich 
retire  to  their  quintas,  or  to  Valparaiso  for  the  sea  bathing. 

Manuel  Montt,  the  President  of  the  Republic  during 
our  stay  in  Chili,  was  then  nearly  sixty  years  of  age.  He 
was  the  first  civilian  who  had  filled  the  presidential  chair, 
and  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  ability  and  liberal  views. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  we  bade  adieu  to  Santiago,  and 


90  RETURN   TO    VALPARAISO. 

returned  to  Valparaiso  bj  a  different  route  from  that  we 
had  traveled  in  coming.  From  Casa  Blanca  there  are 
two  roads  to  the  capital — the  stage-coach  route,  long  but 
comparatively  safe,  and  the  other  passing  over  the  famous 
Ciiesta  del  Pracio,  which  is  traveled  usually  in  gigs,  and 
is  rather  dangerous.  We  thought  we  would  risk  its  perils 
for  the  sake  of  its  novelties,  and  so  determined  to  take  the 
latter  road.  At  first  we  intended  to  charter  hirlochos,  but 
I  dreaded  the  fatigue,  and  we  finally  took  passage  with  a 
Frenchman,  who  drove  a  coach  regularly  between  the 
cities.  We  hired  his  vehicle  (which  he  called  the  Valan- 
drino  Chileno,  or  Chilian  Swallow),  and  he  pledged  him- 
himself  to  drive  just  as  we  desired,  and  stop  when  we 
wished — which  he  of  course  utterly  failed  to  ^o. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  started  from  the  ho- 
tel with  three  horses  abreast,  and  in  the  suburbs  stopped 
while  three  more  horses  were  attached  to  our  vehicle — one 
on  either  side  of  the  first  three,  and  the  third,  bestridden 
by  a  2^^071  in  a  scarlet  poncho,  made  fast  to  the  carriage- 
tongue  in  front,  with  a  thong  of  twisted  hide  some  ten  or 
twelve  feet  in  length.  We  had  then  five  horses  abreast 
— no  tw^o  of  the  same  size  or  color,  but  all  bruised  and 
beaten  till  spotted  —  the  harness   a  bewildering  miscel- 


OVER  THE  PLAINS.  97 

lany  of  leather  and  rope,  inscrutably  attached  to  the  coach 
and  horses — and  all  under  the  guidance  of  the  mounted 
peon.  Our  Gaul,  who  was  to  take  no  passengers  but  our- 
selves, begged  us  to  allow  him  to  have  two  friends  with 
him  in  front.  We  weakly  consented,  and  away  we  went, 
through  squalid  streets  of  adobe  huts,  and  avenues  of  pop- 
lar, until  we  reached  an  open  plain,  which  on  this  side  of 
the  city  is  arid  and  uninteresting. 

The  road  was  broad  and  dusty,  the  whip  was  constant- 
ly applied,  and  with  our  horses  on  a  swift  gallop,  their 
heels  flying  in  the  air  on  either  side  of  our  coach,  and  our 
driver  shrieking  "  Faego  at  Campo  !  "  (fire  to  the  plain), 
we  ascended  gradually  for  twenty-one  miles  to  the  foot  of 
the  cuesta.  Here  a  relay  of  horses  were  feeding  on  a  little 
piece  of  pasturage,  and  our  peon  was  detached  to  drive  them 
to  the  summit,  when  we  were  to  change  teams.  Now  com- 
menced the  real  ascent.  The  road  is  about  forty  feet  wide, 
inclining  to  the  hill,  and  we  wound  up  and  up,  turning  sharp 
corners  and  plunging  through  deep  gorges,  whose  green 
banks  were  gay  with  flowers,  and  bristling  with  giant  cac- 
tuses, till  at  last  we  reached  the  summit  of  twenty-four 
hundred  feet ;  and  while  our  driver  was  changing  horses, 
alighted  to  look  back  over  the  route  we  had  traveled.    A 

7 


98  DESCENT   OF  THE   HILLS. 

verdant  basin  laj  in  an  amphitheatre  of  green  hills,  with 
Santiago  in  the  centre ;  scarcely  perceptible  at  this  great 
distance  amid  its  dark  green  poplars,  while  far  beyond 
rose  the  mighty  Andes,  glittering  between  fleecy  clouds  in 
the  morning  sun.  The  air  was  bright  and  pure  and  sweet, 
and  I  felt  that  glorious  exaltation  of  the  spirit,  which  the 
subtlest  and  deepest  of  our  poor  utterances  cannot  de- 
scribe. 

Regretfully  we  mounted  again  into  our  vehicle,  and  re- 
sumed our  journey.  We  had  now  in  front  three  horses 
abreast ;  and  behind,  two  attached  to  the  coach  with  halters 
to  retard  our  descent.  The  zigzags  were  short  and  steep, 
and  the  angles  so  acute  that,  as  we  whirled  furiously  around 
them,  our  wheels  gave  out  a  harsh,  whizzing  sound  that 
thrilled  every  nerve  ;  but  down  we  went,  never  once  pau- 
sing, on  a  rapid  trot,  our  Frenchman,  who  was  to  drive 
just  as  we  wanted,  declaring  that  he  would  beat  the  loco- 
motive. As  we  neared  the  level  ground  again,  the  zig- 
zags grew  longer  ;  our  horses  were  again  hitched  in  front, 
and  we  dashed  away  over  the  dusty  road  through  a  coun- 
try of  sparsely  covered  shrubs  and  stunted  trees,  with 
here  and  there  a  squalid  hut  of  mud  and  sticks,  until 
twelve  o'clock,  when  we  entered  the  town  of  Curacavi, 


THE   CUESTA   ZAPATA.  99 

twenty  miles  from  Santiago.  In  this  cluster  of  adobe 
hovels,  we  remained  long  enough  to  lunch  and  exchange 
for  fresh  horses.  After  a  travel  of  some  miles  further, 
the  monotony  of  which  was  only  varied  by  meeting  ox- 
carts, laden  with  merchandize,  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of 
the  Cuesta  Zapata,  and  while  our  cochero  halted  again  for 
fresh  horses,  we  alighted  to  rest  ourselves  by  walking. 
Following  a  path  made  by  the  cattle,  we  ascended  a  part  of 
the  mountain,  while  our  coach  followed  the  windings  of  the 
road.  This  cuesta  is  eighteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  from  the  top,  looking  down  the  western  side, 
the  zigzags  are  all  seen  at  once,  resembling  an  immense 
stairway.  Some  fifty  ox-carts  were  ascending  and  de- 
scending, in  the  distance  looking  like  giant  bees,  crawling 
along  the  sides  of  a  gigantic  bee-hive.  Encountering 
these  carts  is  one  of  the  perils  of  the  road,  but  we  descend- 
ed this  cuesta  more  slowly  than  the  other,  and  although 
we  came  in  collision  with  one  of  the  carts,  no  damage  was 
done.  Reaching  the  plain,  we  crossed  a  stream  of  water, 
now  insignificant,  but  which,  with  a  few  hours'  rain,  be- 
comes an  impassable  torrent. 

The  ten  miles  to  Casa  Blanca  we  traveled  at  a  gallop, 
never  resting  a  moment — the  whip  going,  the  horses'  heels 


100  KETURN  TO  VALPARAISO. 

fljing  in  close  proximity  to  our  windows,  and  the  scarlet 
poncho  of  our  driver  gallantly  streaming  in  the  wind.  It 
was  twilight  when  we  drew  up  in  front  of  the  posada  at 
Casa  Blanca — very  tired,  but  extremely  thankful  to  have 
arrived  in  safety.  On  the  following  day,  reached  Val- 
paraiso at  noon. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  great  event  of  the  foreigner's  life  at  Valparaiso,  is 
the  semi-monthly  arrival  of  the  mail-steamer,  bringing 
news  from  home.  We  long  eagerly  for  the  day  she  is  ex- 
pected, and  hail  with  rapture  the  first  breath  of  her  smoke 
on  the  distant  horizon.  As  she  reaches  her  anchorage,  we 
watch  with  a  glass  the  transfer  of  the  mail-bags  to  the 
boat,  and  calculate  the  moments  which  must  elapse  before 
we  receive  our  letters. 

While  we  were  in  Santiago,  the  opening  of  the  Valparai- 
so and  Santiago  Railroad  (which  had  been  completed  as  far 
as  Vina  del  Mar),  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp  and 
religious  ceremonies,  the  engines  being  blessed  and  sprin- 
kled with  holy  water  by  the  bishop  himself.  The  road  as 
surveyed  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  length.  It 
was  commenced  in  1852,  and  before  we  left  Chili,  had 
been  finished  to  Quillota,  a  distance  of  forty  miles,  at  a 
cost  of  $3,500,000.     The  estimated  expense  of  complet- 


102  A    CHILENO   RAILROAD. 

ing  the  road  to  Santiago  is  $5,500,000.  The  engines  were 
brought  from  England,  and  the  passenger  cars  from  Bel- 
gium. The  latter  were  similar  to  our  old  stage-coaches, 
in  shape  and  capacity,  trimmed  with  fine  drab  cloth,  and 
highly  finished.  The  second  class  cars  were  merely  bodies, 
furnished  with  seats  and  without  roofs.  The  road  for  some 
distance  runs  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  blufif,  and  is  protected 
on  the  side  next  the  sea  by  a  massive  wall  of  masonry  ; 
passing  then  through  a  short  tunnel  and  a  deep  cut,  the 
cars  arrive  at  Viiia  del  Mar,  seven  miles  from  Valparaiso. 
This  has  always  been  a  favorite  resort  with  pleasure-seek- 
ers, who  used  to  come  hither  on  horseback,  every  Sunday 
and  feast  day.  Since  the  road  is  completed,  Vina  del 
Mar  has  been  more  popular  than  ever  ;  and  one  day  we 
made  an  excursion  to  the  place.  It  is  a  little  valley  upon 
an  arm  of  the  sea,  watered  by  a  small  stream,  and  has 
several  posadas^  eating-houses,  and  country-seats  belong- 
ing to  people  of  the  city.  One  of  these  latter,  the  pro- 
prietress kindly  gave  us  permission  to  visit.  It  was  in  the 
rainy  season,  and  the  valley  was  beautifully  green,  while 
the  hill-sides  were  gay  with  flowers.  From  the  road  we 
passed  through  a  long  avenue  of  poplars,  entering  a  yard 
in  front  of  a  large,  low  adohe  house,  with  a  corridor  in 


VILLA  AT   VINA   DEL  MAR.  103 

front.  Behind  the  mansion  was  a  small  plat  of  ground , 
adorned  with  all  the  choice  flowers  of  this  and  other  coun- 
tries, in  full  bloom.  The  flowers  were  in  beds,  with  ele- 
vated, narrow  paths  between,  and  each  surrounded  with  a 
little  ditch  for  irrigation.  Beyond  this  yet,  on  the  hill- 
slope,  under  the  shade  of  some  small  trees,  was  built  a 
bath  of  masonry,  through  which  flowed  a  mountain  rivulet, 
giving  life  and  freshness  to  the  gay  parterre  below.  We 
procured  some  broad  and  cheese  at  one  of  the  cafes,  and 
with  strawberries  from  a  bed  near  us,  we  made  our  dinner 
in  the  shade  of  an  immense  fig  tree  that  rose  forty  feet 
above  us  ;  and  so  returned  to  the  city. 

On  the  16th,  there  was  a  grand  procession  at  Valparaiso, 
in  honor  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  All  the  images 
of  the  churches  were  borne  through  the  streets  on  men's 
shoulders.  One  figure  of  the  Virgin  had  a  new  dress  for 
the  occasion  made  of  a  flowing  robe  of  blue  silk,  with 
curls  of  ribbon  falling  to  her  shoulders,  a  wreath  of  flow- 
ers on  the  head,  and  long  ribbons  passed  around  the  waist, 
and  terminating  in  the  hands  of  two  little  girls  represent- 
ing angels  in  the  act  of  leading  the  Virgin.  A  woman 
intended  to  represent  Judith,  carried  a  hideous  counter- 
feit of  Holofernes's  head  in  one  hand,  and  a  large  knife  in 


104      CELEBRATION  OF  THE  IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION. 

the  other.  Many  priests  followed  in  their  robes,  chanting ; 
and  an  immense  rabble  of  the  devout  packed  the  narrow 
streets,  and  moved  confusedly  to  different  measures  of 
music — the  band  performing  "  Bowery  Girls,"  among 
other  solemn  pieces,  with  great  distinctness. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"  The  portion  of  Chili,  north  of  the  Valley  of  Huasco," 
says  Lieutenant  Gillis,  "  is  the  richest  in  mineral  wealth, 
particularly  silver.  In  1850,  there  were  worked  in  the 
department  of  Copiapo,  two  hundred  and  ninety  mines  of 
silver,  six  of  gold,  and  thirty  of  copper.  Chailarcillo  is 
considered  the  richest  silver  mine  in  the  world.  It  was 
discovered  in  1832,  by  a  man  hunting  goats.  He  sat 
down  to  rest  on  a  projecting  rock  that  gave  way,  and  dis- 
closed the  pure  silver.  This  mine  also  yielJs  mercury, 
copper,  bismuth,  tin,  lead,  arsenic,  cobalt — in  fact,  almost 
the  whole  range  of  minerals  are  found  within  its  depths. 

"  Tlie  province  of  Coquimbo  is  one  of  the  most  produc- 
tive copper  districts  in  the  world,  and  with  more  skilful 
engineers  and  suitable  machinery,  the  more  precious  met- 
als could  be  obtained  in  a  remunerative  quantity. 

"  The  region  between  the  parallels  of  30°  and  31°  south 
latitude,  and  74°  of  longitude,  is  filled  with  veins  of  gold. 


106  MINERAL   WEALTH   OP   CHILI. 

silver,  quicksilver,  copper,  and  other  rare  combinations  of 
metals.  I  shall  only  mention  two — Arqueros  and  Algo- 
dones,  one  to  the  north  and  the  other  to  the  south  of  Co- 
quimbo  river.  They  were  accidentally  discovered  by  a 
hunter  stumbling  over  some  rolling  stones  containing  a 
large  percentage  of  silver,  lying  at  the  bottom  of  a  ravine. 
"When  his  good  luck  became  known,  a  crowd  went  to  the 
spot  and  picked  up  10,000  dollars'  worth  of  ore  from  the 
surface.  Soon  after  the  vein  from  which  these  stones 
came  was  discovered,  and  also  two  others,  since  which  time 
they  have  yielded  in  all  more  than  four  millions  of  dollars. 
There  are  gold  and  salt  mines  to  the  south  among  the 
Araucanians,  but  the  former  are  not  worked.  Iron  is 
found  in  small  quantities. 

"  Valuable  coal  mines  exist  half  w^ay  between  Talca- 
huano  and  Concepcion,  on  the  river  Andalien ;  the  coal  is  of 
good  quality,  and  the  position  such  that  boats  can  be  load- 
ed from  the  mouth  of  the  mine. 

"  Extensive  coal  deposits  also  exist  at  Coronel  and  Col- 
cura,  a  few  leagues  south  of  the  Biobio,  on  the  coast." 

The  coal  is  extremely  inflammable,  and  the  engineers 
complain  that  it  burns  out  their  fire-bars.     It  is  taken  to 


TRANSPORTATION    OF    SILVER.  107 

Valparaiso,  Santiago,  and  California  in  large  quantities, 
and  is  delivered  on  board  ship,  at  five  dollars  a  ton. 

In  the  northern  provinces  of  Chili,  there  is  almost  un- 
limited  wealth   in  silver  and   copper,  but   owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  water  and  fuel  in  many  places,  and  the  great 
difficulty  of  transporting  the  product,  many  of  the  mines 
have  been  abandoned,  while  others  yield  but  a  small  profit. 
Nevertheless,   speculation   in   mining   sometimes    almost 
amounts  to  mania  ;  in  many  cases  owners  become  discour- 
aged— think  they  do  not  acquire  wealth  rapidly  enough — 
and  sell  out  at  a  low  figure,  and  the  purchaser  perhaps 
strikes  a  rich  lode,  and  doubles  his  investment.     There  are 
proprietors  of  mines  living  at   Santiago,  whose  income  is 
so  enormous,  that  they  are  ignorant  of  the  exact  amount. 
Smelting,  where  there  is  fuel,  is  sometimes  done  at  the 
mines,  but  usually  at  the  port,  and  much  metal  is  shipped 
in  a  crude  state.     Trains  of  mules  laden  with  silver  and 
copper  ore  in  bags,  or  smelted  bars,  under  military  escort, 
and  headed,  each  train,  by  an  old  mare,  called  the  maclri- 
na,  to  whose  neck  a  little  bell  is  hung— wend  their  way 
through  the  mountains  and  over  the  rugged  country,  bear- 
ing their  precious  cargoes  to  the  ports.     On  their  return 
the  mules  are  tied   heads  to  tails,  and   never  losing  the 


108  CHILENO   CURRENCY. 

sound  of  the  madrina^s  bell,  slowly  and  patiently  regain 
the  mines.  In  Valparaiso  the  bar-silver  passes  through 
the  hands  of  the  British  consul,  and  I  have  seen  upon  the 
floor  of  his  office,  a  pile  of  silver  bars,  fifteen  feet  long, 
four  feet  high,  and  four  feet  wide,  each  bar  valued  at  from 
$2,200,  to  $2,500. 

The  currency  of  Chili  is  metallic.  The  silver  is  deci- 
mal like  our  own,  and  quite  as  handsome.  Formerly  there 
were  silver  coins  in  circulation,  which  were  made  by  drop- 
ping melted  silver  on  a  hard  surface,  and  when  cool  weigh- 
ing it,  and  stamping  its  value  in  shillings  (reales)  upon  one 
side,  and  the  cross  on  the  other.  These  coins  were  called 
plata  de  la  cruz — silver  of  the  cross ;  they  are  now  with- 
drawn from  circulation.  In  gold  there  are  ounces,  half- 
ounces,  quarters,  and  eighths,  and  a  new  coinage  of  ten- 
dollar  pieces  called  condors  and  twos.  There  is  also  in 
copper,  the  cent  and  half-cent.  Metallic  currency  has 
some  disadvantages,  for  it  is  heavy,  and  the  silver  is  incon- 
veniently bulky.  Large  sums  are  carried  in  stout  linen 
bags,  and  it  is  common  to  meet  gentlemen  in  the  streets, 
with  their  hands  on  their  way  to  business,  or  followed  by 
peones,  carrying  the  money-bags  on  their  backs. 

In  Valparaiso  there  is  a  banker  of  immense  wealth,  who 


A    CHILENO    CROESUS.  109 

knows  that  he  is  worth  $2,000,000,  but  cannot  tell  how 
much  more.  He  has  a  small  oflSce  on  one  of  the  principal 
streets,  where  I  have  seen  two  or  three  bushels  of  ounces 
on  the  counter,  as  he  was  shoveling  them  uncounted  into 
the  scales. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

There  is  a  pleasure-garden  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
citj,  much  resorted  to  bj  all  classes — not  because  the 
place  has  many  attractions,  but  because  there  is  no  other 
means  of  varying  the  monotony  of  existence;  within  this 
semi- circle  of  hills,  where  you  cannot  drive  in  more  than 
one  direction  without  climbing  some  acclivity,  I  always  en- 
joyed my  after-dinner  rides  to  the  Polanco  (as  the  gar- 
den is  called),  from  the  novel  life  I  was  sure  to  encounter 
on  the  way. 

Descending  the  steep  rocky  gorge,  by  which,  from  our 
residence,  we  reach  the  streets,  we  beckon  to  a  passing 
birlochero,  in  whose  vehicle  we  seat  ourselves  with  the 
direction,  ''  Vaya  al  Polanco,"  and  away  we  go  over  the 
badly  paved  road  at  a  full  gallop.  You  are  jolted  against 
your  neighbor,  you  knock  your  bonnet  against  the  side, 
you  bound  against  the  top  ;  but  you  are  riding  for  pleas- 
ure, and  so  grasping  a  strap,  and  bracing  your  feet,  you 


GOING   TO   THE   POLANCO.  Ill 

endeavor  to  enjoy  the  exercise,   consoling  yourself  with 
the  reflection  that  it  will  help  you  to  digest  your  dinner. 

The  first  person  we  notice  is  an  old  guaso,  mounted  on 
a  fine  horse,  with  his  wife  behind  him.  He  wears  a  bright 
poncho  and  straw  hat.  Her  dress  is  a  gay  calico,  a  shawl, 
and  a  Panama  hat.  The  horse's  bridle  is  finely  plated, 
with  a  continuation  of  the  reins  fringed  at  the  end — which 
serves  the  double  purpose  of  whipping  the  horse,  or  lash- 
ing any  unlucky  cur  within  reach.  The  bridle-bit  is  pow- 
erful enough  to  break  the  horse's  jaw ;  and  on  the  saddle 
are  five  or  six  shsiggj  piUo7ies,  or  woolen  cloths,  which  al- 
most cover  his  thighs.  The  rowels  of  the  guaso's  spurs 
are  as  large  as  tea-plates ;  his  stirrups  are  made  of  a  block 
of  carved  wood  six  or  eight  inches  in  diameter — forming  a 
complete  protection  for  the  feet  in  passing  through  rocky 
gorges  and  mountain  defiles.  On  one  side  of  the  saddle 
hangs  a  coiled  lasso,  made  fast  to  the  saddle.  The  lasso 
is  made  of  twisted  hide  about  as  thick  as  one's  thumb,  and 
some  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  length,  with  a  slip-noose  at  the 
end ;  the  mounted  guaso  is  never  without  it.  The  skill 
and  precision  with  which  it  is  thrown  is  surprising.  When 
the  guaso  desires  to  catch  an  animal  while  running,  he  takes 
the  coil  of  the  lasso  in  his  right  hand,  puts  his  horse  at  full 


112        THE  LASSO — EARLY  PRACTICE. 

speed,  and  whirling  his  lasso  to  give  it  momentum,  hurls  its 
loop  around  the  neck,  horns,  or  leg  of  the  animal,  with  as 
much  certainty  as  a  skilful  ball-player  sends  his  ball. 
The  horse  is  trained,  so  that  the  instant  the  lasso  leaves 
his  riders'  hand,  he  stops  and  braces  himself,  to  bear  the 
strain  of  the  captured  animal.  The  men  are  bred  to  this 
exercise  from  infancy ;  and  th-ere  is  not  a  ragamuffin  boy 
old  enough  to  walk,  but  is  forever  practicing  his  art  on 
poultry,  dogs,  goats,  and  sheep,  or  any  small  animal  that 
comes  in  his  way.  One  day,  while  walking  on  the  Plaza 
Ancha,  we  saw  one  of  these  little  wretches  throw  his 
lasso  over  the  head  of  a  passing  water-carrier,  whom  he 
dragged,  half  choked,  from  his  donkey.  The  urchin  drop- 
ped bis  lasso  and  ran  for  life,  while  the  aguatero  relieved 
his  feelings  with  all  the  expletives  in  the  language. 

Hurrying  onward  to  the  Polanco,  we  meet  and  pass  other 
birlochos,  gentlemen  in  gay  ponchos,  mounted  on  prancing 
horses ;  drunken  sailors  galloping  the  street  at  a  break- 
neck pace,  knowing  little  of  horsemanship  and  caring  less ; 
and  guasos  on  mules  and  donkeys  with  panniers  of  fruit 
and  vegetables. 

Here  is  a  peon,  with  a  long  pole  over  his  shoulder,  from 


STREET   CURIOSITIES.  113 

which  hang  bunches  of  tallow  candles  velas  de  seho  ;  and 
there  another  with  a  bundle  of  country  brooms,  made  of 
broom-corn  tied  about  the  end  of  a  rough  stick.  On  our 
left,  we  have  just  passed  an  hombre,  with  a  number  of 
gay  feather  dusters  made  from  the  plumage  of  the  South 
American  ostrich  ;  just  before  us  is  a  man  carrying  two  ele- 
gant robes  of  guanaco  skins — a  soft,  fine  fur,  buff  and 
white,  brought  from  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and  used  here 
in  winter  to  rest  the  feet  on  ;  coming  toward  us  is  another 
with  a  robe  of  ostrich  skins,  with  gray  and  white  feathers 
some  four  inches  in  length.  These  are  also  from  the 
straits,  and  are  used  for  the  same  purposes  as  the  gua- 
nacho  skins. 

At  the  corners,  organ-grinders  with  monkeys,  discourse 
music  to  the  delighted  populace — more  fortunate  than  the 
troubadours  of  the  north,  for  instead  of  being  continually 
routed  by  the  police,  they  are  here  absolutely  paid  by  the 
authorities.  We  pass  men  seated  on  the  ground,  with 
broad  shallow  baskets  containing  cakes  and  dulces  for  sale. 
By  and  by,  as  it  grows  dark,  they  will  light  small  lanterns, 
and  doze  over  their  wares  till  bedtime. 

Near  the  garden  we  cross  a  bridge  that  spans  a  wide 
deep  sewer,  now  nearly  dry,  but  which,  in  the  rainy  season, 


114  PULPERIAS — PEOPLE — POLICE. 

is  a  raging  torrent.  On  one  side  of  the  estero  stands  a 
row  of  mean  houses,  pulperias,  where  they  sell  the 
liquors  of  the  country ;  and  despachos,  where  all  sorts  of 
meat,  vegetables  and  fruits  may  be  had.  The  sidewalks 
are  unpaved,  and  the  doors  stand  wide  open,  discovering 
the  filthy  earthen  floors  of  the  interior,  always  a  little 
lower  than  the  street — where  unwashed,  uncombed  buyers 
and  sellers  are  chaffing  together,  half-naked,  squalid  chil- 
dren are  playing,  and  fat,  greasy  women  are  seated  on  the 
ground  twangling  guitars. 

We  returned  to  the  city  just  as  a  detachment  of  the 
police  in  the  Plaza  del  Orden,  were  being  detailed  to  their 
different  beats  for  the  night.  The  policemen  are  divided 
into  two  forces,  the  Vigilantes^  who  preserve  order  during 
the  day,  and  the  Serenos,  who  watch  by  night.  They  are 
uniformed  in  coarse  blue  cloth ;  a  part  of  each  watch  is 
mounted,  and  are  all  armed  with  sabres.  The  vigilantes 
go  to  their  beats  at  daylight,  and  are  authorized  to  arrest 
every  one  violating  the  peace  or  public  decency,  and  to 
keep  the  streets  clean  and  orderly.  One  is  usually  placed 
at  the  intersection  of  every  two  streets.  At  twilight  the 
serenos  are  marched  to  the  relief  of  the  vigilantes.  The 
sereno  is  never  allowed  to  leave  his  beat,  on  any  account, 


EFFICIENCY   OF   THE    POLICE.  115. 

until  a  comrade  has  responded  to  his  whistle.  A  house- 
holder maj  send  him  to  call  a  priest  or  physician,  but  if 
either  of  these  reside  outside  of  his  district,  he  must  pass  the 
message  through  his  comrades.  The  sereno  examines  the 
street-doors  of  the  houses,  and  if  thej  are  not  properly 
secured,  he  notifies  the  residents. 

After  ten  o'clock,  he  cries  the  hour,  describing  the 
weather  in  a  prolonged  sing-song  tone ;  and  the  presence 
of  belated  persons  is  announced  bj  whistles,  sounding 
from  sereno  to  sereno,  to  put  all  on  the  alert. 

The  number  and  efficiency  of  the  police  aflford  compara- 
tive security  ;  and,  on  the  whole,  I  think  life  and  property 
are  safer  in  the  midnight  streets  of  Valparaiso,  than  in 
many  cities  of  the  United  States.  In  street  encounters 
with  the  disorderly  and  drunken,  the  police  use  their  sa- 
bres without  mercy.  In  regard  to  their  qualities  as  cen- 
sors of  cleanliness  and  decency,  they  are  not  so  efficient, 
being  ignorant  of  what  cleanliness  and  decency  are,  ex- 
actly. 

Dogs  are  one  of  the  pests  of  the  city.  They  are  of  all 
kinds  and  colors,  from  the  tiny  white  Lucia  poodle  (the  pet 
of  the  parlor,  washed,  combed  and  flea-d  every  morning), 
down  to  the  mongrel  cur  of  mangy  constitution  and  un- 


116  DOGS   OF   VALPARAISO. 

sightly  aspect.  They  roam  about  the  streets  and  lie  ia 
the  doorways ;  and  hundred  sthat  have  no  masters,  live 
wild  on  the  hills,  and  gather  their  food  by  night  from  the 
offal  thrown  on  the  beach.  One  day,  to  our  great  horror, 
a  donkey  fell  dead  near  our  door;  but  the  hungry  dogs 
pounced  upon  him,  and  in  less  than  twelve  hours  no  ves- 
tige of  the  deceased  remained.  Of  course,  the  greater 
part  of  these  dogs  belong  to  the  very  poor  ;  and  every  hill- 
side hovel  harbors  two  or  three  great  half-starved  brutes, 
the  terror  of  every  passer-by. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

On  the  first  of  May,  the  Minister  of  War  died  in  Val- 
paraiso. From  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  sunset, 
guns  were  fired  every  quarter  of  an  hour ;  and  on  the  day 
following  the  minister's  death,  his  remains  were  taken  to 
the  church,  where  the  grand  mass  was  said  ;  the  body  was 
then  placed  in  a  rich  funeral  car,  drawn  by  six  richly  ca 
parisoned  black  horses,  and  removed  to  Santiago,  with  a 
numerous  escort,  as  far  as  the  suburbs  of  Valparaiso,  of 
the  military,  and  the  native  and  foreign  officials. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  the  first  church  building  for  the 
protestant  worship  in  the  Republic  of  Chili,  was  consecra- 
ted at  Valparaiso.  Catholicism  is  the  established  religion 
of  the  country,  and  the  law  tolerates  no  other ;  but^there 
are  now  so  many  foreigners  resident  in  Valparaiso,  that 
the  authorities  do  not  like  to  interfere  in  their  mode 
of  worship,  and  are  rather  disposed  to  ignore  the  subject. 
Our  humble  edifice  was  permitted  neither  bell  nor  steeple  ; 


118  PROTESTANTISM — CATHOLIC  CEREMONIES. 

yet  bj  its  architecture  it  was  readily  distinguished  as  a 
church.  Every  Sunday,  a  crowd  of  the  common  people 
gathered  around  the  high  board  fence  that  inclosed  it,  and 
there  was  evidently  a  great  deal  of  curiosity  about  the 
forms  of  heretic  devotion.  No  progress  is  made  in  the 
conversion  of  the  natives  to  Protestantism ;  and  I  do  not 
see  how  there  is  to  be  a  change  in  this  respect.  If  a  Bible 
is  presented  to  a  child  or  adult,  the  fact  is  at  once  made 
known  to  the  confessor,  who  of  course  condemns  the  book, 
and  bids  the  penitent  beware  of  the  heretic.  As  in  other 
Catholic  countries,  the  priests  here  have  the  strongest  hold 
upon  the  devout  and  emotional  natures  of  the  women. 
Many  of  the  educated  of  the  other  sex,  seeing  and  feeling 
the  absurdities  of  the  Romish  church,  are  lapsing  into  in- 
fidelity. 

In  the  port  at  Valparaiso,  the  Host  is  now  carried  to 
the  dying,  by  a  priest  with  a  red  umbrella,  preceded  by 
three  boys  with  a  bell  and  lighted  candle.  As  the  proces- 
sion pass  by,  all  good  Catholics  kneel  and  utter  a  brief 
prayer  for  the  departing  soul  to  which  the  sacred  wafer  is 
passing.  Formerly,  the  Host  was  conveyed  with  great 
pomp  of  military,  bells  and  lights,  and  was  the  occasion  of 
constant  difficulties  between  the  natives  and  the  heretic 


THE   CHILENO   PRIESTS.  119 

foreigners.  The  authorities  finally  prohibited  these  out- 
ward demonstrations  in  the  port,  but  they  still  continue  at 
the  capital  and  other  places.  The  custom  of  kneeling  as 
the  viatico  passes,  is  so  sacredly  observed,  that  even  the 
participants  in  a  waltz  will  pause  and  bend  the  knee  when 
the  sound  of  the  bell  is  heard. 

Intolerance  and  superstition,  although  bad  enough  in 
Valparaiso,  are  unchecked  at  Santiago.  The  character  of 
the  clergy  is  low,  but  they  tell  their  people,  ''  You  must 
live  what  we  preach,  not  what  we  practice."  They  are 
vowed  to  celibacy,  yet  many  of  them  are  known  to  have 
large  families  of  children  ;  and  pretty  country  cousins  are 
frequent  guests  at  their  households.  A  friend  of  mine 
told  me  that  he  once  attended  mass  at  a  town  in  the  inte- 
rior, where  the  congregation,  impatient  at  the  absence  of 
the  priest,  sent  for  his  reverence.  Their  messenger  found 
him  at  a  cock-fight,  which  he  refused  to  leave  until  the 
exciting  combat  was  ended.  Recently  a  Chileno  died 
leaving  a  thousand  dollars  in  the  hands  of  an  executor,  to 
be  expended  in  masses  for  his  soul ;  the  native  priests 
would  only  consent  to  perform  five  hundred  masses  for  the 
money.  Accordingly  the  executor,  who  had  an  eye  to 
business,  wrote  to  Spain,  and  procured  a  thousand  masses 


120  INDULGENCES — MENDICANT   FRIARS. 

for  six  hundred  dollars.     The  church  of  Chili  then  sued 
him  for  defrauding  it  out  of  its  legitimate  business. 

At  the  door  of  evej  church  in  Santiago,  printed  indul 
gences  are  for  sale  on  fast  days.  The  usual  tenor  of  the 
indulgence  is,  that  whoever  will  observe  faithfully  certain 
ceremonies,  shall  have  permission  to  commit  minor  sins  for 
a  specified  length  of  time.  The  applicant  kneels,  a  light- 
ed candle  is  placed  in  his  hand,  a  badge  is  thrown  over  his 
neck,  and  a  priest  mutters  a  prayer.  At  the  close  of  the 
ceremony,  the  applicant  rises,  pays  a  dollar,  and  receives 
a  printed  indulgence,  with  his  name  written  in  the  blank 

space,  certifying,  "  In  the  name  of  God,"  that  he, 

,  is  permitted  (for  instance)  "  to  eat  meat  one  month 

during  Lent." 

Bareheaded  friars  clothed  in  coarse  woolen  gowns,  with 
'sandals  upon  their  feet,  and  carrying  a  small  crucifix,  beg 
from  door  to  door  in  the  cities — presenting  the  crucifix  to 
be  kissed,  and  expecting  a  real  in  return.  On  the  street 
at  the  foot  of  our  hill  in  Valparaiso,  is  a  shop  where  sacred 
images  are  manufactured  and  sold.  The  walls  are  covered 
with  figures  of  all  the  saints  in  the  Catholic  calendar — 
varying  in  size  from  six  inches  to  six  feet.  Among  the 
rest   was  a   vivid   representation   of   the  Passion  of  the 


CHILENO   PEONES   AT   WORK.  121 

Saviour — a  figure  nailed  to  a  cross,  with  blood  starting 
from  the  forehead,  hands  and  side. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  we  went  by  rail  a  little  dis- 
tance into  the  country,  to  dine  with  a  friend  who  has  a 
contract  for  building  some  of  the  railroad  bridges.  We 
found  our  friend  livmg  in  a  shanty  near  a  gorge  in  the 
coast  range  of  mountains,  where  the  grade  is  very  steep, 
and  where  five  bridges  are  required  within  one  mile.  A 
large  number  of  peones  were  at  work  here,  each  of  whom 
the  contractor  paid  five  reales  a  day,  and  furnished  with 
a  sufficiency  of  bread  and  beans.  They  had  a  brush 
shanty  in  which  to  sleep  at  night ;  a  stone  oven  to  bake 
their  bread,  and  a  large  iron  kettle  to  cook  their  beans. 
The  bread  was  leavened  with  yeast ;  pieces  of  the  dough 
were  weighed,  made  into  loaves,  and  covered  with  a  dirty 
poncho,  and  then  placed  in  the  sun  to  rise.  At  noon, 
old  nail  kegs,  filled  with  cooked  beans,  were  placed  on  the 
ground ;  three  or  four  laborers  squatted  around  each  keg, 
and  with  a  piece  of  bread  in  one  hand,  and  in  the  other  a 
stick  flattened  at  the  end,  or  mussel-sbell,  with  which  to 
scoop  up  the  beans,  they  ate  their  dinner.  When  their 
hunger  was  satisfied,  thej  threw  themselves  on  the  ground, 
and  drew  their  hats  over  their  eyes  for  a  few  moments'  si- 


122  RAILROAD   BRIDGES — GRAND   MASS. 

esta.  The  dress  of  these  peones  consisted  of  a  wide  pair 
of  cotton  drawers,  a  shirt,  and  a  conical  straw  hat.  The 
poncho  is  worn  mornings  and  evenings,  and  when  the 
Tveather  is  cool.     At  night,  it  is  used  for  bed  covering. 

The  railroad  bridges  are  very  expensive  structures. 
The  lumber  for  their  construction  is  all  Norway  pine ; 
and  the  iron  girders  are  brought  from  England.  The 
piers  and  abutments  are  built  of  very  fine  granite  (re- 
sembling the  famous  Quincy  stone),  which  is  found  in  great 
abundance  near  by. 

On  the  diez  y  ocho  of  this  year,  I  attended  grand  mass 
in  the  church  of  La  Matriz.  The  building  was  decorated 
with  flags  ;  and  inside,  the  two  rows  of  pillars  were  adorned 
with  gay  ribbons,  and  the  altar  flamed  with  lighted  candles. 
A  soldier  stood  on  guard  at  each  door  to  prevent  the  in- 
gress of  the  lower  classes.  The  church  was  soon  filled 
"with  ladies,  wearing  superb  black  silks,  vails,  diamonds 
and  white  gloves,  who  knelt  on  mats,  spreading  their 
flounced  skirts  to  the  utmost  extent.  We  arrived  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  morning ;  at  eleven,  the  Intendente^  with 
the  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  and  the  foreign  consuls, 
escorted  by  military  and  a  band  of  music,  entered  the 
church,  and   threaded   their  way  through   the  kneeling 


TRIBULATIONS   OF   THE    DEVOUT.  123 

groups  to  the  chairs  which  had  been  placed  for  them. 
The  religions  ceremonies  were  similar  to  those  at  Santiago, 
but  less  imposing.  The  bishop  of  Valparaiso  officiated. 
The  attendance  of  military  and  naval  officers  at  these  ob- 
servances is  enforced  by  the  loss  of  a  month's  salary  for 
every  failure  to  be  present.  I  was  extremely  amused  by 
the  performances  of  one  of  these  near  me.  He  was  dressed 
in  full  uniform  and  watched  the  ceremonies  very  narrowly, 
lest  he  should  not  make  his  genuflections  at  the  proper 
time.  At  his  feet  was  a  lady  whose  skirts  covered  a  vast 
area,  and  every  time  the  officer  knelt,  he  planted  the  end 
of  his  sword  firmly  upon  her  dress,  which  she  attempted 
to  extricate — so  that  their  time  was  occupied  in  the  inef- 
fectual struggle.  The  Danish  Consul,  whose  gorgeous  uni- 
form had  evidently  been  made  for  him  when  he  was  a  much 
thinner  man,  told  me  that,  after  kneeling  fourteen  times, 
he  gave  up  in  despair  and  exhaustion,  and  remained 
quietly  seated  during  the  rest  of  the  service. 

On  the  night  of  the  same  day,  the  city  was  lighted  with 
gas  for  the  first  time.  At  the  plaza  Victoria,  an  inscrip- 
tion was  formed  of  small  jets  of  gas  in  these  words  :  Val- 
paraiso, Honor  d  la  ilustre  Manicipalidad — Honor  to  the 
illustrious  Municipality.  These  the  Intendente  lighted 
with  his  own  hand,  and  then  the  street-jets  were  lighted. 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

On  the  evening  of  the  28th  of  September,  we  experi- 
enced the  severest  shock  of  earthquake  that  occurred 
during  our  residence  in  Chili.  It  came  upon  us  without  a 
premonitory  noise  or  tremor — a  tremendous  shock,  that 
brought  us  all  to  our  feet  in  consternation,  and  rocked  the 
house  till  every  door,  window  and  dish  rattled  again. 
With  a  common  impulse  we  sprang  to  the  door  and  out 
upon  the  hill.  Two  more  shocks  followed,  each  increasing 
in  violence.  It  was  dark,  but  in  the  streets  below  us  we 
could  hear  the  hum  of  voices,  as  the  people  rushed  out  of 
their  houses,  praying  to  heaven,  and  calling  upon  each 
other ;  while  the  dogs  added  terror  to  the  scene  by  their 
doleful  howls. 

"VVe  knew  our  house  to  be  perfectly  safe  ;  an  earth- 
quake which  could  demolish  that,  would  destroy  the  city. 
Nevertheless,  on  the  slightest  tremor  of  the  earth,  an 
irresistible  impulse  of  flight  always  possessed  us. 


EARTUQUAKE   EXPERIENCES.  125 

No  buildings  were  thrown  down  by  this  shock,  but  the 
walls  of  many  were  cracked,  and  immense  damage  was 
done  in  the  fracture  of  window-glass  and  crockery.  The 
motion  of  the  earthquake  seemed  to  be  a  perpendicular  vi- 
bration, like  great  heavings  from  beneath ;  it  was  felt  on 
the  ships  in  the  bay,  and  produced  a  heavy  swell.  During 
the  next  twelve  days  we  had  nine  more,  and  we  seemed  in 
a  fair  way  to  be  shaken  out  of  our  belief  that  the  earth 
was  terra  firma.  At  another  time,  we  had  six  earth- 
quakes in  one  week ;  and  in  the  three  years  we  lived  in 
Chili,  we  felt  fifty-eight  shocks.  Our  nerves  became  acute- 
ly sensitive  to  the  temhlor.  When  all  other  noises  passed 
unheeded,  the  faintest  roar,  or  feeblest  motion  of  an  earth- 
quake caused  us  to  start  and  turn  pale.  Many  a  time  I 
have  been  awakened  in  the  night  by  the  trembling  of  the 
bedstead — wondered  in  terror  if  that  would  amount  to  any 
thing,  and  if  the  motion  did  not  continue,  dropped  to  sleep 
again.  But  if  the  shock  is  severe,  away  you  go  out  of 
doors,  regardless  of  clothing  and  propriety,  and  it  is  not 
until  the  earth  is  calmed,  that  you  realize  your  situation. 
Ridiculous  scenes  constantly  take  place  ;  a  very  severe 
shock  occurred  one  morning  in  1851,  just  as  the  American 
Consul  had  retired,  after  his  return  from  a  party,  to  which 


126  STORMS — CLIMATE. 

he  had  worn  his  uniform  and  chapeau.  At  the  first  warn- 
ing he  leaped  from  bed,  dashed  on  his  embroidered  coat 
and  chapeau,  and  ran  out  upon  the  hill,  utterly  destitute  of 
pantaloons.  Many  people  will  not  sleep,  nor  even  sit  in  a 
room  with  closed  doors,  lest  they  should  be  fastened  in  their 
frames  during  an  earthquake,  and  so  prevent  egress. 

The  administrador  of  a  mine  in  Copiap6,  told  me  that 
he  was  once  in  the  depths  of  the  mine,  four  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  from  the  surface,  during  an  earthquake,  and 
that  the  noise  was  like  that  of  a  thousand  gongs,  while  the 
motion  was  scarcely  perceptible. 

During  the  three  years  of  our  residence  in  Chili,  we  had 
but  one  thunder-storm,  though  they  are  very  frequent  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Andes.  Indeed,  if  one  had  the 
arrangement  of  a  climate  to  suit  oneself,  one  could  hardly 
make  one  more  perfect  than  that  of  Chili.  In  Valparaiso, 
the  mercury  ranges  from  50°  to  80°,  and  rarely  exceeds 
either  extreme.  The  nights  are  always  cool,  and  I  inva- 
riably slept  under  one  heavy  blanket,  and  sometimes  two. 
Thick  clothes  are  always  comfortable  within  doors,  and  in 
the  shade  without. 

On  account  of  the  coolness  of  the  weather,  everybody 
wears  a  shawl,  and  the  women   have  a  curious  habit  of 


SOCIAL   DISTINCTIONS.  127 

crouching  on  the  floor,  with  one  foot  folded  under  them,  in 
order  to  keep  warm. 

From  the  1st  of  April  until  the  1st  of  October,  "  rain 
may  be  looked  for  "  in  Chili;  although  the  rains  frequently 
do  not  begin  till  June,  and  cease  in  August.  After  that, 
as  certainly  as  the  day  dawns,  the  sun  shines. 

The  people  here  are  divided  into  two  classes :  the  gen- 
try, and  the  peones  or  peasants.  Of  the  former  class,  the 
men  are  rather  below  the  medium  size.  They  invariably 
have  black  hair  and  eyes — with  a  sallow  complexion  which 
is  sometimes  very  dark.  Many  of  them  are  well  educated 
in  the  Chileno  schools  and  colleges,  and  a  few  have  trav- 
eled in  Europe  or  the  United  States  ;  but  they  are  indo- 
lent and  effeminate,  never  doing  to-day  what  can  be  done 
to-morrow — fond  of  gaming  and  dress — inveterate  smok- 
ers, and  loose  in  their  notions  of  morality. 

The  beauty  of  the  women  has  been  greatly  overrated. 
When  they  wore  the  graceful  black  veil,  which  harmonized 
so  well  with  their  jet-black  hair  and  eyes,  they  had  attrac- 
tions which  they  do  not  possess  now,  when  dressed  in  col- 
ors. As  they  approach  middle  life,  they  incline  to  flesh. 
They  are  indolent  and  slovenly.  The  Chileno  lady  rises 
late  ;    she   dresses  hastily,  throwing  a  charitable  shawl 


128  LADIES   AND    SERVANTS. 

about  her  to  hide  manifold  sins  of  omission.  Her  little 
feet  are  carelessly  thrust  into  slippers,  her  hair  is  plaited 
in  two  braids  that  fall  down  her  back.  Her  ablutions  are 
merely  a  form  of  politeness  to  the  wash-bowl.  In  this 
dishabille  she  dawdles  about,  amusing  herself  with  some 
fancy  work,  until  ennui  drives  her  to  seek  refuge  in  shop- 
ping or  pa3'ing  visits.  Then  she  makes  her  appearance  in 
all  the  splendor  of  silks  and  diamonds,  never  wearing 
muslin  or  calico,  and  preferring  a  tattered  silk  for  morn- 
ing dress,  to  the  most  exquisite  cotton  fabric. 

Servants  are  abundant,  and  if  one  does  not  please,  a  bet- 
ter may  be  had  ;  so  that  the  ladies  here  are  relieved  entirely 
of  one  of  the  most  harassing  responsibilities  of  northern 
housekeepers.  A  young  girl  never  leaves  the  house  of  her 
parents  unless  accompanied  by  some  member  of  the  family 
or  a  female  servant.  If  she  pays  a  visit,  the  duenna  waits 
for  her  at  the  front  door,  or  gossips  with  the  other  servants. 
Interviews  between  young  ladies  and  gentlemen  never  take 
place  except  in  the  presence  of  others.  Of  course,  mar- 
riages of  convenience  are  frequent.  There  are  also  many 
instances  of  matrimony  within  the  forbidden  degrees  of  con- 
sanguirnty — even  to  the  union  of  uncles  with  nieces,  and 
step- fathers  with  step-daughters.     The  honey-moon  is  pass- 


CUSTOMS    OF   THE    COUNTRY.  129 

ed  in  strict  seclusion ;  after  that,  the  husband  and  wife 
usually  occupy  separate  apartments. 

Children  at  birth  are  almost  invariably  given  in  charge 
to  a  wet-nurse,  whose  child  in  turn  is  nursed  by  a  poorer 
woman.  This  nurse  of  the  nurse's  child,  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten,  has  never  been  married. 

Some  of  the  social  customs  of  the  Chilenos  are  peculiar. 
Hospitality  to  evening  visitors  is  expressed  in  tea  and  cakes 
— the  hostess  always  pouring  out  the  beverage,  and  a  ser- 
vant passing  it  to  the  guests.  Yerba  Mata,  the  leaves  of 
a  shrub  imported  from  Paraguay,  is  the  beverage  of  the 
common  people,  and  is  also  much  used  by  the  better  classes ; 
though  the  Chinese  plant  takes  its  place  in  the  parlor.  The 
t/erba  mata  has  the  taste  of  tea,  with  a  faint  savor  of  to- 
bacco, and  is  a  slightly  exhilarating  drink.  It  is  always  pre- 
pared with  sugar  in  the  dish,  from  which  it  is  drank,  or 
sucked,  boiling  hot,  through  a  tube.  The  poor  use  little 
gourds  with  a  bamboo  tube  called  a  bambiUia,  while  the 
rich  indulge  in  elegant  chased  silver  or  china  cups,  with  a 
bambillia  of  silver. 

Evening  parties  (tertulias)  are  much  in  fashion,  the  re- 
freshments being  usually  cakes,  ices  and  tea. 

Thirty  years  ago,  the  Chilenos  welcomed  all  foreigners 
9 


130  CHILENO   HOSPITALITIES. 

with  overflowing  hospitality,  and  with  a  primitive  warmth 
and  simplicity  that  was  delightful.  Such  welcome  is  now 
seldom  shown,  except  in  remote  places  in  the  country, 
where  the  mata  cup  with  its  bambillia  is  still  passed  from 
your  neighbor's  lips,  no  matter  how  old  or  ugly,  to  your 
own  ;  and  where  your  hostess  will  pause  in  front  of  you, 
with  her  dish  of  dulces  in  one  hand  and  spoon  in  the  other, 
while  she  envelopes  a  peach  in  its  syrup  to  gently  thrust 
it  into  your  expectant  mouth,  and  so  pass  on  around  the 
circle.  Now,  letters  of  introduction,  although  not  abso- 
lutely necessary,  still  facilitate  your  entrance  into  society. 
A  gentleman  leaves  his  card  for  you,  and  at  your  first 
visit  will  "  celebrate  greatly  acquaintance  with  you,"  and 
assures  you  "  that  the  house  and  all  it  contains  are  wholly 
at  your  service" — high-sounding  but  meaningless  phrases, 
though  it  is  true  that  you  have  the  entree  of  his  house, 
where  his  wife  will  receive  you  cordially.  The  saloon  is 
always  lighted  at  evening,  where  you  can  drop  in  without 
knocking,  at  nine  or  ten,  to  take  tea,  and  remain  until 
midnight,  or  perhaps  later ;  music,  conversation  and  tea 
are  the  amusements.  The  gentleman  of  the  house  is  not 
often  present,  spending  his  evenings  with  other  companions, 
and  perhaps  in  not  so  innocent  a  manner.     Sunday  is  the 


ladies'  calls — PARENTAL  RELATIONS.     131 

day  for  complimentary  visiting,  calls  being  made  at  two  or 
three  in  the  afternoon,  and  also  at  twilight.  Ladies  are 
rarely  attended  home  from  evening  visits  by  any  one  but  a 
servant,  custom  not  permitting  beaux  to  accompany  them, 
unless  affianced,  and  then  with  the  servant  also.  Ac- 
quaintances always  address  each  other  by  the  given  name, 
with  the  prefix  of  Don,  Dona,  or  Seilorita,  an  affectionate 
custom  much  less  ceremonious  than  our  own. 

The  tender  love  between  mother  and  daughter,  as  it  ex- 
ists with  us,  is  unknown.  The  child  being  at  birth  intrusted 
to  a  wet  nurse,  goes  later  to  school,  where  she  S'^es  her 
mother  but  seldom ;  she  is  constantly  under  the  care  of 
servants,  and  there  can  be  but  little  confidence  between 
them,  which  the  confessional  probably  lessens.  If  she 
wishes  sympathy  or  advice  she  goes  to  a  companion,  look- 
ing upon  her  mother,  who  should  be  her  best  friend,  as  her 
natural  enemy.  Never  mingling  with  boys  at  school,  and 
when  grown,  never  enjoying  freely  the  society  of  the 
other  sex,  she  is  ignorant  of  her  own  powers  of  pleasing 
or  conversation.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  married  with- 
out consulting  her  wishes,  she  is  an  indifferent  wife  of  an 
unfaithful  husband.  In  religion  she  is  willing  to  be  guided 
solely  by  her  confessor,  without  consulting  her  own  jud^y- 


132  CHILENO    WOMEN — SOCIAL   HABITS. 

ment.  The  intellect  of  the  females  I  think  superior  to 
that  of  the  male  sex,  but  in  Chili  there  is  little  to  excite 
their  ambition.  There  are  no  lectures,  no  literary  societies, 
but  few  cultivated  minds  to  come  in  contact  with.  There 
is  no  opportunity  of  traveling  in  their  own  country,  ex- 
cept up  and  down  the  coast  to  a  few  miserable  ports,  and 
back  and  forth  from  Valparaiso  to  Santiago.  Both  sexes 
confess  to  apathy.  "  Personal  labor  is  considered  degrad- 
ing. Want  of  occupation  encouraged  by  the  chmate  soon 
confirms  a  habit  of  indolence,  where  there  is  no  mental  en- 
ergy to  shake  it  off,  and  in  a  brief  while  the  youth,  who 
might  have  become  a  man  of  ability  and  enterprise,  falls 
irreclaimably  into  idleness  and  listlessness."  Thus  life  is 
one  monotonous  round — to  the  female,  of  going  to  mass  in 
the  morning,  attending  to  a  few  domestic  duties  during 
the  day,  and  the  opera  or  a  tertulia  in  the  evening.  The 
male  sex  omit  the  mass,  look  a  little  after  their  business 
aflfairs  if  they  have  any,  go  to  the  opera  or  tertulia,  or  the 
gaming  table  for  the  night. 

Ladies  never  attend  funerals.  Within  ten  days  after 
the  obsequies,  it  is  customary  to  pay  visits  of  condolence. 
The  mourners  for  many  days  sit  in  one  corner  of  a  dark- 
ened parlor,  and  the  first  arrivals  seat  themselves  next  the 


FUNERALS — GAMBLING — TITLES.  133 

afflicted,  expressing  sympathy  for  the  living,  or  regret  for 
the  dead ;  then  make  their  bows  and  retire,  as  the  suc- 
ceeding arrivals  move  up. 

Gambling  is  a  national  vice ;  but  the  miners  carry  it 
on  more  extensively  than  any  other  class.  One  instance 
came  under  my  own  observation  where  the  proprietor  of  a 
mine,  on  a  steamer  coming  down  from  Copiap6,lost  90,000 
dollars  in  a  single  night.  At  many  of  the  houses  in  San- 
tiago the  gaming  table  is  regularly  set  out,  and  forms  one 
of  the  features  at  their  entertainments.  The  poorest  pe- 
ones  and  raggedest  urchins  can  be  seen  at  any  time  in  the 
lanes  and  alleys,  betting  medios  and  centaros  with  as  much 
eagerness  as  the  miner  does  his  ounces.  There  are  laws 
against  gaming,  but  they  are  not  enforced,  and  even  the 
Church  keeps  silent,  as  many  of  her  dignitaries  are  experi- 
enced monte  players. 

Although  all  titles  are  abolished,  many  of  the  old  fam- 
ilies would  be  proud  to  retain  them,  and  still  keep  up  the 
retinue  and  state  of  nobility.  The  Countess  de  Toro, 
whom  I  saw  at  Santiago,  pays  the  government  a  yearly 
sum  for  the  privilege  of  being  called  countess — an  empty 
gratification  for  which  she  can  well  afford  to  pay,  for  her 
wealth  is  almost  fabulous.     At  a  ball  given  during  the  fes- 


134  HACENDADOS — POLITENESS. 

tivities  of  the  diez  y  ocJio,  besides  being  richly  dressed, 
she  wore  diamonds  estimated  to  be  worth  forty  thousand 
dollars.  She  sports  a  Parisian  coach  and  four,  with  four 
outriders  and  a  postilion.  Her  house  is  a  large,  two-story 
brick  mansion,  painted  a  brilliant  red,  with  white  doors  and 
window  casings.  Her  husband  ordered  in  his  will  that  the 
color  should  remain  unchanged,  and  the  slightest  deviation 
would  forfeit  the  property. 

In  the  country,  on  the  large  estates,  many  of  the  Jiacen- 
dados  live  in  almost  regal  style,  keeping  large  retinues  of 
servants  and  troops  of  horses  with  which  to  serve  and 
amuse  the  guests,  with  whom  they  are  always  happy  to  have 
their  houses  filled. 

We  profess  to  be  a  cultivated  people  and  stiffen  our 
necks  with  Yankee  independence,  but  in  some  things  we 
might  learn  courtesy  from  the  Chilenos.  They  never  enter 
or  leave  a  public  vehicle  without  a  bow  to  its  occupants, 
and  we  never  make  one  unless  to  an  acquaintance.  At 
the  table  d'hote  at  the  hotel  in  Santiago,  no  lady  or  gen- 
tleman ever  sat  down,  or  rose  from  table  without  a 
graceful  inclination  of  the  head  to  all  who  were  present. 
So  in  shopping,  they  bow  to  the  merchant  or  his  clerks  on 
entering   and    leaving   the  store.     These  simple  acts  of 


THE   CONSTANT   CIGAR.  135 

politeness  always  impressed  me  pleasantly,  and  as  so  much 
better  than  our  own  don't-care-for-any-body  sort  of  way. 
In  the  street,  however,  the  Chilenos  might  learn  from  us. 
If  a  group  of  gentlemen  are  conversing  on  the  narrow 
ddewalk,  and  a  lady  approaches,  they  often  will  not  notice 
her,  or  will  perhaps  step  back,  leaving  her  the  curb-stone. 
Sometimes  she  is  obliged  to  step  into  the  gutter  to  pass 
around  them. 

Ko  place  except  the  church  is  sacred  from  the  fumes  of 
the  cigar.  Gentlemen,  whether  riding  or  walking,  with  or 
without  ladies,  are  always  smoking.  The  priest  in  the 
Pantheon  takes  a  whiff  between  prayers ;  and  even  the 
firemen  while  running  with  their  engines,  must  pause  to 
light  the  cigarrito,  let  the  urgency  be  ever  so  great.  The 
Seiioritas  have  the  name  of  being  addicted  to  this  habit, 
and  I  was  told  that  formerly  the  greatest  compliment  a 
lady  could  pay  a  gentleman,  was  to  light  the  cigarrito 
and  pass  it  to  him  from  her  own  lips ;  but  I  never  saw  any 
thing  of  this. 

This  is  life  in  Chili.  To  vegetate  in  a  soft  climate,  free 
from  excitement,  except  an  occasional  revolution,  or  earth- 
quake ;  to  attend  strictly  all  the  fiestas  of  holy  church,  and 
ensure  salvation,  as  the  priests  say ;  to  walk  in  the  evening 


136  PEONES — MARRIAGE. 

in  the  Alemedas  or  public  gardens  (termed  in  their 
grandiloquent  stjle,  jar  dines  de  las  delicias — gardens  of 
delight),  and  to  enjoy  the  moonlight,  as  advertised  in  the 
daily  paper,  M'ita  noche  tendran  oportunidad  los  hermosas 
senoritas  de  pasearse  en  el  Uden,  y  oir  encantado  la  musica 
hajo  la  luna  de  enero.  (This  evening  our  fair  ladies  will 
have  the  opportunity  of  promenading  in  the  enchacted 
Eden,  and  listening  to  music  beneath  the  light  of  the  Janu- 
ary moon.) 

As  to  the  second  and  poorer  class  of  the  Chilenos — the 
peones  are  hideously  ugly — with  thick  heads  of  hair  hang- 
ing straight  from  the  crown,  high  cheek-bones,  wide  mouths, 
and  copper-colored  complexions.  Small  hands  and  feet 
are  property  in  the  beautiful,  common  to  all  Chilenos. 
Some  of  the  women  of  the  2?eones  are  quite  pretty,  but 
there  is  a  great  want  of  chastity  among  them.  Unions 
without  marriage  are  frequent,  and  are  excused  on  the 
ground  that  the  blessing  of  the  church  is  too  great  an  ex- 
pense to  be  incurred.  Born  as  inferiors  and  dependants, 
the  highest  ambition  of  the  peones  is  to  serve  masters  or 
mistresses  of  wealth  and  consequence,  addressing  them  as 
Patron,  and  Patrona.  Their  necessities  are  few,  and  may 
be  summed  up  in  a  mud,  or  adobe  hut,  a  hide  in  one  cor- 


PECULIARITIES    OP   THE   PEONES.  137 

ner  upon  which  to  sleep,  an  iron  pot  and  matd  cup,  bread 
and  beans  for  substantial  food,  with  garlic,  or  onions  and 
fruits  for  relishes.  In  the  cool  rains  of  winter  they  shiver 
uncomplainingly,  and  when  the  sun  shines,  crouch  into 
every  sheltered  nook  and  corner  to  enjoy  its  grateful  warmth. 
Like  all  ignorant  people  they  are  superstitious,  believing  in 
charms  and  amulets  as  powerful  to  drive  away  diseases ; 
and  it  is  common  to  see  them  with  little  round  plasters  upon 
their  temples  as  antidotes  for  headache.  On  Sundays  they 
visit  the  barber,  who  is  one  of  their  own  class,  and  whose 
shop  is  the  shady  side  of  a  bit  of  cloth  stretched  upon 
poles  ;  and  there  perform  their  toilet  for  the  week  to  come. 
The  wages  of  a  year's  labor  is  often  spent  upon  a  poncho 
to  wear  at  the  diez  y  oclio.  Mechanics  and  shopkeepers 
are  a  degree  removed  from  these,  but  there  is  a  want  of 
cleanliness  in  all ;  and  a  passion  for  display  and  finery 
that,  to  gratify  in  public,  they  will  suflfer  any  deprivation  at 
home. 

The  1st  of  November  is  All-Saints-Day,  when  in  Catho- 
lic countries,  surviving  friends  decorate  the  graves  of  the 
dead,  and  procure  prayers  to  be  said  for  the  souls  of  the 
departed.  The  road  leading  to  the  Pantheon  at  Valpa- 
raiso, on  this  day  was  thronged  with  people  in  deep  black, 


138  A   DAY   AT   THE    PANTHEON. 

on  their  way  to  the  performance  of  these  rites.  The 
cemetery  had  been  put  in  order  for  the  occasion — the  pits 
had  been  filled  up,  and  the  pieces  of  coffins  and  bones  had 
been  cleared  awaj.  We  passed  through  aisles  of  beggars 
on  the  hill-side  to  the  gates  of  the  Pantheon,  where  vend- 
ers of  fruits,  cakes,  ices  and  milk  punch,  hoarsely  offered 
their  wares  to  purchase,  while  the  vigilantes  running  about 
to  preserve  order,  contributed  to  a  scene  of  confusion  more 
appropriate  to  the  entrance  of  a  fair  ground  than  the  sol- 
emn abode  of  the  dead.  At  the  portal  of  the  Pantheon 
is  a  hall,  opening  upon  a  corridor,  near  which  the  chapel 
was  filled  with  kneeling  devotees.  The  interior  was 
draped  with  black,  and  lamps  were  burning  before  the  altar. 
In  front  of  the  chapel  was  a  table  on  which  stood  a  figure 
of  the  Saviour,  with  an  old,  brown  skull,  surrounded  with 
wax  tapers  at  its  feet. 

The  monuments  and  tombstones  were  all  covered  with 
fresh  flowers,  in  wreaths,  festoons,  and  vases,  while  blos- 
soms were  lavishly  scattered  upon  the  graves.  Many  tombs 
were  adorned  with  beautiful  garlands  of  immortelles.  Groups 
of  people  chatting  gaily,  were  seated  upon  the  stones, 
while  at  various  points  throughout  the  grounds,  priests  of 
different   orders   were  repeating   prayers   for   the  dead. 


PRAYERS  FOR  THE  DEAD.  139 

Passing  down  the  broad  walk,  on  my  left  was  a  reverend 
man  in  long  robes  of  black  broadcloth,  who  would  pray 
for  any  desired  soul, at  one  real  a  prayer;  while  on  the  left 
^Yas  a  portly-looking  person  in  a  flowing  gown  of  white 
merino,  whose  supplications  came  one  real  higher.  Be- 
yond these  were  two  priests  in  gray  cloth,  who  looked 
rather  seedy.  Their  demand  was  one  penny,  and  to  these 
the  very  poor  came,  untying  the  coin  from  the  corner  of 
a  handkerchief,  while  one  of  the  priests  muttered  the 
prayer  for  which  it  was  to  pay.  Meanwhile  a  person  in 
secular  costume,  followed  by  a  score  of  women,  went  from 
cross  to  cross  at  the  graves  of  the  poor,  petitioning  the  Vir- 
gin in  their  behalf. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Our  last  summer  in  Chili  was  the  warmest  we  experi- 
enced in  that  climate — the  thermometer  in  the  shade  rising 
several  times  as  high  as  78°. 

We  had  made  up  our  minds  to  quit  Valparaiso  during 
the  month  of  February,  with  the  intention  of  returning 
home  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  instead  of  crossing  the  Isth- 
mus again — for  two  reasons  :  the  one  was  that  the  Isthmus 
route  was  very  expensive,  and  the  other  that  a  detention  of 
two  weeks,  either  at  Panama  or  Aspinwall,  was  unavoid- 
able, and  afforded  opportunities  for  taking  the  Panama  fever 
altogether  too  flattering. 

A  line  of  ships,  between  Boston  and  Valparaiso,  made 
regular  trips,  and  we  determined  to  take  passage  in  one  of 
these.  Our  ship  was  to  return  to  the  United  States  with 
a  cargo  of  wool  and  copper  ores,  going  to  Coquimbo  for 
the  latter,  and  thence  down  the  coast,  below  Valparaiso,  to 
the  ports  of  Tome,  and  Talcahuano,  in  the  Bay  of  Concep- 


DEPARTURE  FROM  VALPARAISO.        141 

cion,  for  the  wool — not  touching  at  our  port  on  her  down- 
ward passage.  So  we  took  the  propeller  Valdivia,  and 
joined  her  at  Talcahuano. 

We  left  Valparaiso  with  many  regrets,  for  our  residence 
in  its  soft  climate,  and  amid  its  novel  scenes  had  been 
most  agreeable,  and  we  were  parting  moreover  from  many 
kind  friends.  On  the  10th  of  February,  at  noon,  we 
rounded  the  light-house  point,  and  shut  the  familiar  bay 
and  city  from  our  view.  The  second  night,  at  eight 
o'clock,  we  reached  Tome,  lying  at  anchor  all  night,  and 
early  in  the  morning  crossing  six  miles  to  Talcahuano. 
The  Bay  of  Concepcion  is  six  miles  long  and  four  miles 
wide,  with  Tom^,  Liriguen,  and  Pence  on  the  east,  and 
Talcahuano  on  the  west.  At  the  entrance  lies  the  island 
of  Quiriguina,  nearly  three  miles  in  length,  and  one  in 
width.  Talcahuano  was  entirely  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake and  the  sea,  on  the  20th  of  February  in  1835. 
The  sea  receded  and  then  advanced  in  three  successive 
waves — unbroken  walls  of  water,  thirty  feet  in  height — 
dragging  ships  from  their  anchors,  and  dashing  one  more 
than  two  hundred  yards  inland — sweeping  houses  from 
their  foundations,  and  in  the  subsidence,  bearing  away 
^     the  ruins,  and  leaving  the  site  of  the  town  desolate.     At 


142  TALCAHUANO — PEON    FUx^ERAL. 

the  first  alarm,  the  inhabitants  fled  to  the  hills  behind  the 
town,  and  there,  with  the  earth  quaking  so  violently  beneath 
them  that  it  was  impossible  to  stand,  they  beheld  the  ad- 
vance of  the  devouring  sea,  and  the  utter  destruction  of 
their  property.  Talcahuano  now  contains  about  about  four 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  like  other  South  American  towns, 
is  mostly  built  of  adobes,  though  there  are  some  framed  and 
brick  houses  in  the  place.  It  has  narrow  streets,  and  one 
plaza,  where  you  wander  about  in  the  dust,  amid  peones, 
donkeys,  dogs,  and  fleas,  and  behold  women  sitting  in 
their  doorways  strumming  guitars. 

It  is  a  great  resort  for  whale  ships  in  the  summer 
season,  and  of  course  the  streets  abound  in  drunken  sailors 
whom  you  always  see  in  a  disturbance  of  some  kind. 

One  day  while  there,  the  sound  of  music  attracted  me 
to  my  door,  when  I  witnessed  a  most  singular  pageant.  A 
peon  was  carrying  on  his  extended  hands  a  board  about 
five  feet  long,  upon  which  lay  the  body  of  an  infant, 
dressed  in  pink.  The  eyes  stood  wide  open,  and  the 
cheeks  were  painted  to  simulate  the  flush  of  health.  The 
man  was  followed  first  by  two  women,  then  by  two  men — 
one  playing  a  fiddle  and  the  other  a  guitar — while  a  half- 
score  of  both  sexes,  brought  up  the  rear,  gayly  laughing 


UNLADING   SHIPS    BY   LAUNCHES.  143 

and  chatting  together.  They  were  going  to  bury  the  an- 
gelita,  over  whom  they  had  danced  and  froUcked  for  three 
days — perhaps  lending  it,  in  the  mean  time,  once  or  twice 
to  some  family  that  were  not  so  fortunate  as  to  have  a 
corpse  of  their  own  ;  and  so  furnishing  an  excuse  for  or- 
gies quite  as  wild  and  ridiculous  as  those  of  an  Irish  wake. 
This  custom  is  generally  observed  among  the  more  degra- 
ded classes,  who  often  keep  a  corpse  for  festive  purposes, 
until  it  brcomes  offensive  to  all  who  approach  the  house. 

Here,  as  at  Valparaiso,  ships  are  unladen  and  laden  by 
means  of  launches.  The  boatmen  are  a  class  who  follow 
this  business  and  no  other.  The  launch  is  rowed  near  the 
beach,  and  then  pushed  on  it,  stern  foremost,  as  far  as  the 
depth  of  the  water  will  permit ;  the  men,  naked  save  for  a 
shirt  and  a  piece  of  cloth  about  the  loins,  wade  through 
the  surf  carrying  articles  to  shore,  no  matter  what  their 
size  or  weight.  I  have  seen  twelve  of  these  men  bring  to 
shore  in  this  way  a  large  carriage  boxed  up.  Their  mus- 
cular frames  become  wonderfully  developed,  and  it  is  as- 
tonishing with  what  rapidity  they  perform  their  work. 

Concepcion,  formerly  called  Pence,  was  situated  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  bay,  but  its  repeated  destruction  by 
earthquakes,  the  sea  and  the  Araucanian  Indians,  drove 


144  PENCO — CONCEPCION. 

the  inhabitants  nine  miles  inland,  where  they  located  the 
present  city,  upon  the  northern  bank  of  the  river  Biobio,  a 
large  navigable  stream. 

Old  Penco,  as  it  is  now  called,  possesses  peculiar  inter- 
est from  its  historical  associations,  for  it  was  here  that  the 
cross  was  first  raised  in  southern  Chili,  by  General  Yal- 
divia,  in  1550.  All  that  is  now  to  be  seen  of  its  former 
greatness,  are  the  remains  of  an  old  fort,  or  water  battery, 
with  walls  of  great  extent  and  six  feet  in  thickness.  On 
the  fa9ade  is  cut  in  stone,  the  Spanish  coat  of  arms,  cover- 
ing a  space  of  eight  feet  square,  with  the  date,  "  Afio 
1687." 

The  road  from  Talcahuano  to  Concepcion  traverses  a 
sandy  plain,  dotted  here  and  there  with  shrubs  and  dwarf 
trees.  As  we  approached,  at  first  we  saw  what  seemed  a 
few  scattering  huts,  at  the  base  of  a  range  of  sand-hills, 
and  not  far  ofi*,  the  river  Biobio  ;  and  were  surprised  soon 
afterwards  to  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  city  of  some 
twelve  thousand  inhabitants.  The  streets  are  of  moderate 
width,  and  the  buildings  are  of  course  like  those  of  all 
other  Chileno  towns.  It  was  noon  when  we  entered  the 
city,  and  in  passing  through  a  long  street  to  our  hotel,  we 
saw  only  three  animated  objects — two  men  and  a  donkey. 


CHILENO    HOTEL.  145 

It  was  the  hour  of  the  siesta,  the  whole  city  was  asleep, 
and  in  broad  day,  amid  so  many  thousands  of  people,  there 
was  utter  silenee. 

The  great  earthquake  of  1835  destroyed  Concepcion. 
A  lady,  who  resided  there  at  the  time,  told  me  that  but 
one  house  was  left  standing,  and  that  she  lived  for  some 
time  afterwards  in  a  tent.  The  stone  Cathedral  of  the 
city  has  never  been  rebuilt ;  its  foundation  walls  on  one 
side,  and  the  archway  of  the  door  alone  remain.  I  may 
describe  the  Hotel  del  Sur,  for  it  was  like  all  other  houses 
of  the  kind  in  Chili.  There  was  a  passage  in  the  centre, 
through  which  the  donkeys  with  wood  and  water  were 
driven  to  the  kitchen.  The  only  room  to  sit  in  was  the 
dining-room,  floored  with  brick,  and  with  a  bar  of  liquors 
in  one  corner.  The  bed-rooms  opened  on  the  patio.  The 
kitchen,  about  twelve  feet  square,  had  a  brick  range  on 
one  side,  and  a  table  opposite — the  floor  of  earth,  plaster- 
ed over  with  all  the  grease  and  victuals  that  had  been 
dropped  upon  it  during  the  preparation  of  innumerable 
dinners. 

The  province  of  Concepcion  is  of  untold  fertility  ;  it  pro- 
duces enormous  quantities  of  wheat  of  the  finest  quality, 
and  barley,  beans,  and  vegetables  of  every  description, 
10 


146  FRUITS — AGRICULTURE. 

as  well  as  fruits  and  wine,  and  cattle  and  sheep.  A  wine 
called  mitsto,  which  they  make  here  in  large  quantities,  is 
like  Burgundy  in  flavor.  From  the  forests  of  apple  trees 
that  grow  without  culture,  the  national  drink  chicha  is 
made,  and  a  pine  tree  on  the  slopes  of  the  Andes  yields 
the  pifion,  a  nut  similar  to  the  chestnut  when  boiled,  and 
prized  as  a  delicacy  by  the  ladies  of  Santiago,  while  to  the 
Araucanians,  it  is  bread. 

Gold,  copper,  and  coal  abound,  and  only  enterprise  and 
mining  intelligence  are  needed  to  develop  vast  mineral 
resources. 

As  soon  as  the  rains  have  sufficiently  softened  the 
ground,  it  is  prepared  for  wheat  by  the  rude  plough  of  the 
natives,  a  knee-shaped  piece  of  wood,  of  which  the  larger 
end  serves  as  the  share,  and  the  smaller  as  the  handle. 
It  has  a  second  straight  beam  near  the  joint  for  the  tongue, 
and  the  end  of  the  share  is  shod  with  iron.  It  does  not 
make  a  furrow  more  than  six  inches  in  depth.  The  oxen 
are  attached  by  means  of  a  long  straight  yoke  lashed  to 
their  horns.  Ploughs  have  been  brought  from  the  United 
States  and  England,  but  the  laborers  will  only  use  them 
while  under  the  eye  of  the  proprietor,  and  are  averse  to 
innovations  and  improvements.     The  grain  is  sown  broad- 


THRESHING  BY  HORSE  POWER.         147 

cast,  and  covered   by  dragging  brush   over  it ;    and   the 
sickle  is  used  for  reaping. 

While  in  Concepcion  I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing 
the  labors  of  the  wheat-threshing,  which  is  an  annual 
event  of  great  importance.  As  the  wheat  is  cut,  it  is 
placed  in  a  pile  on  an  elevated  site,  until  it  rises  to  the 
height  of  a  considerable  hill.  The  pile  I  saw  was  as 
large  as  six  of  our  common  hay-ricks,  and  was  inclosed  by 
a  high  fence  of  poles  and  bushes,  adjoining  a  field  in  which 
were  some  forty  mares,  only  used  in  this  country  for  the 
purpose  of  increasing  the  stock.  A  portion  of  the  grain 
was  thrown  from  the  pile  upon  the  ground  ;  the  mares, 
with  half-a-dozen  guasos  to  drive  them,  were  turned  in,  and 
at  a  signal  from  the  mayor-domo^  stationed  on  the  summit 
of  the  pile — away  they  went  at  full  speed,  incited  by  the 
whips  of  their  drivers,  and  the  yells  of  a  crowd  of  men  and 
boys  outside.  After  a  certain  number  of  rounds,  "  Vael- 
ta!  "  roared  the  mayor-domo^  when  the  mares  turned  in  their 
tracks  and  ran  in  an  opposite  direction — half  obscured  in 
straw  and  clouds  of  dust.  Now  and  then  one  lost  her  foot- 
ing and  fell,  of  course  bringing  all  behind  her  to  a  full 
stop,  but  doing  no  injury  to  herself  in  the  mass  of  straw. 
When  exhausted,  the  mares  are  turned  into  the  corral  to 


148  IMMENSE   CROPS. 

rest,  while  the  grain  was  scraped  up  near  the  fence,  and  a 
new  supply  of  unthreshed  ears  scattered  over  the  ground. 
After  the  grain  is  threshed,  it  is  winnowed  by  being  tossed 
into  the  air,  with  shovels,  when  the  wind  blows  away  the 
chaff.  On  some  haciendas,  where  the  crop  of  wheat  is 
large,  one  or  two  hundred  mares  are  employed  in  the 
threshing,  a  sufficient  number  being  hired  from  neighboring 
estates,  when  there  are  not  enough  on  the  proprietor's  farm. 
A  daily  feast  for  the  laborers  is  provided  by  the  patron 
as  long  as  the  trilla  lasts.  It  is  difficult  to  arrive  accurately 
at  the  amount  of  wheat  raised  in  Concepcion,  but  the  av- 
erage value  of  the  crop  is  something  near  $12,000,000. 

The  bean  crop,  of  which  there  are  some  sixteen  varieties, 
is  of  more  importance  to  the  laboring  classes  than  any 
other — that  vegetable  constituting  their  chief  article  of 
diet.  Indian  corn  does  not  thrive  well,  and  beans  supply 
to  a  great  extent  the  place  of  bread. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  southern  part  of  Chili  is  classic  ground.  There, 
inhabiting  a  delightful  territory,  situated  between  the  riv- 
ers Biobio  and  Valdivia,  and  between  the  Andes  and  the 
sea,  extending  from  30°  44'  to  34°  50',  south  latitude,  is 
a  nation  of  Indians,  named  by  the  Spaniards,  Araucanos, 
who  have  maintained  their  independence  for  more  than 
three  centuries.  So  strenuous  and  succesful  has  been 
their  resistance,  that  their  country  was  early  called,  by 
their  invaders,  the  "Invincible  State,'*  and  a  Spanish 
poet  has  magnanimously  celebrated  in  epic  poetry  the 
exploits  of  a  people,  who,  to  preserve  their  independence, 
have  caused  such  torrents  of  Spanish  blood  to  flow. 

The  Spaniards,  under  their  great  general,  Pedro  de 
Valdivia,  having  conquered  the  northern  provinces,  and 
founded  the  cities  of  Santiago  and  Concepcion,  in  1550, 
crossed  the  Biobio  to  give  the  Araucanians  battle.  After 
a  hard  contest,  in  which  Valdivia  said  *'  he  was  never  in 
such  imminent  hazard  of  his  life,''  the  Indians,  losing 


150  ARAUCANIAN    WARS. 

their  chief,  retreated,  and  left  the  Spaniards  too  much  ex- 
hausted to  pursue  them. 

For  the  next  few  years,  owing  to  the  timidity  of  the  In- 
dian commander,  Valdivia,  sometimes  defeated  and  at 
others  victorious,  advanced  into  their  territory  and  found- 
ed seven  cities,  which  prospered  for  a  time.  The  Arau- 
canos  finally  deposing  their  old  chief,  elected  Caupolican, 
who  renewed  the  war,  and  prosecuted  it  with  vigor,  be- 
sieging cities  and  destroying  fortifications,  until  the  inhab- 
itants, driven  from  one  place  to  another,  at  last  narrowly 
escaped  in  a  vessel  from  Valdivia. 

Deeds  of  heroism  done  in  this  war,  are  recorded  worthy 
of  more  civilized  nations.  The  Araucanos,  in  their  deadly 
hatred  to  the  Spaniards  and  their  determination  to  keep 
their  country  free  from  the  yoke  of  the  foreigners,  who  un- 
der the  plea  of  spreading  their  religion,  committed  every 
cruelty  and  oppression  that  human  nature  could  invent,  con- 
tinued hostilities  with  a  perseverance  and  resoluteness  of 
purpose  which  nothing  could  turn  aside. 

"  In  a  battle  between  Caupolican  and  Valdivia,  when 
victory  seemed  in  favor  of  the  Spaniards,  a  young  Indian 
named  Lautaro,  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  whom  Valdi- 
via had  taken  in  one  of  his  incursions,  baptized  and  made 


HEROIC    STRUGGLES    AND    SACRIFICES.  151 

his  page,  quitted  the  victorious  party,  reproached  his  coun- 
trymen with  cowardice,  and  grasping  a  lance,  turned  a- 
gainst  his  late  master,  crying  out,  '  Follow  me,  my  coun- 
trymen ;  victory  courts  us  with  open  arms.' 

"  The  Araucariians,  ashamed  at  being  surpassed  by  a 
boy,  turned  with  such  fury  upon  their  enemies  as  to  put 
them  to  rout  and  destroy  them,  so  that  of  the  whole  army 
but  two  escaped."  * 

Valdivia  was  taken  prisoner  and  killed  in  1553,  and  as 
years  passed  on,  was  succeeded  by  other  generals,  and 
Caupolican  had  many  successors. 

Caupolican  was  the  most  distinguished  of  all  the  Ar- 
aucanian  chiefs.  He  was  defeated  in  battle,  and  for  a 
long  time  his  retreat  was  unknown,  but  finally  one  of  the 
natives  being  severely  tortured,  revealed  his  hiding  place, 
when  he  was  captured,  after  a  terrific  struggle,  with  ten 
of  his  followers,  who  would  not  abandon  him.  His  wife, 
who  exhorted  him  to  die  rather  than  surrender,  on  seeing 
him  taken,  threw  her  infant  son  at  his  feet,  saying,  "  She 
would  retain  nothing  that  belonged  to  a  coward," 

In  1590,  the  Indian  chief  Guepotau,  who  had  for  a  long 
time  defended  a  pass  in  the  Andes,  desiring  to  have  his 

*  Abbe  Molina. 


152  A  WOMAN   WARRIOR. 

wife  with  him,  descended  into  the  plains  in  search  of  her, 
but  was  surprised  by  a  party  of  Spaniards  and  killed. 

His  wife,  Janequeo,  burning  with  a  desire  to  revenge 
her  husband's  death,  placed  herself,  with  her  brother,  at 
the  head  of  a  company  of  neighboring  Indians,  and  made 
inroads  into  the  Spanish  settlements,  killing  all  who  fell 
into  her  hands. 

She  sustained  successfully  many  contests  with  an  ex- 
perienced Spanish  general,  and  at  the  commencement  of 
the  rainy  season,  retired  to  the  mountains,  fortifying  her- 
self in  a  place  surrounded  by  precipices ;  from  whence 
she  daily  harassed  a  neighboring  city  in  such  a  manner 
that  no  one  dared  to  leave  it.  She  Was  finally  driven  from 
her  stronghold  by  artillery,  and  saved  herself  by  flight. 

For  ninety  years  the  Indians,  armed  only  with  spears, 
lances,  bows  and  arrows,  waged  war  with  their  invaders, 
who  were  supplied  with  firearms,  and  constantly  recruited 
from  Peru. 

Finally  the  Spanish  government,  seeing  it  had  made 
but  little  progress  in  conquering  this  fierce  and  warlike 
people,  made  a  treaty  of  peace  with  them,  which  continu- 
ed until  1655,  when  war  again  broke  out,  continuing  with 
violence  for  ten  years. 


EXPULSION   OP  INVADERS.  153 

After  an  iaterval  of  peace,  in  1723,  the  Araucanians 
determined  to  expel  the  Spaniards  from  the  whole  of  Chili, 
but  this  war  only  amounted  to  a  few  skirmishes,  when 
peace  was  established. 

The  Araucanians  are  of  medium  height,  muscular,  and 
well  formed,  with  a  reddish  brown  complexion  ;  their  faces 
are  oval,  with  small  expressive  eyes,  rather  flat  noses, 
and  white,  even  teeth  ;  the  hair,  coarse  and  black,  is  worn 
long  by  both  sexes,  and  wound  in  tresses  around  the  head. 
They  have  many  virtuous  qualities  as  well  as  savage  vices, 
and  a  haughty  contempt  for  all  other  nations.  The  dress 
of  the  men  consists  of  shirt,  pantaloons,  and  poncho,  of 
coarse  woollen  cloth.  The  women  wear  a  tunic,  and 
ornaments  of  gold,  silver  and  beads  are  much  prized 
among  them. 

Polygamy  exists,  and  plurality  of  wives  are  employed 
in  manufacturing  cloth  aud  ponchos — the  latter  often  of 
delicate  fineness,  embroidered  with  figures  of  flowers  and 
animals,  and  worth  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

The  art  of  weaving  was  understood  by  them  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Europeans  in  the  country,  and  they  had  the 
same  style  of  plough  now  used  by  the  Chilenos. 

The  interior  of  their  territory  is  almost   unknown,  as 


154  THE   ARAUCANOS. 

they  are  so  suspicious  of  the  white  race,  that  only  pedlers, 
bringing  toys  and  finery,  are  permitted  to  pass  to  the 
plains.  From  them  we  learn  that  the  country  is  well 
watered  by  large  rivers,  has  fine  forests  of  timber  in  the 
interior,  and  is  rich  in  mines  of  gold,  silver,  salt,  and  coal ; 
that  they  have  immense  herds  of  cattle  and  horses  to  bar- 
ter for  trinkets — orchards  of  apples  and  pears,  adjoined  by 
fields  of  wheat,  barley,  beans,  and  cabbage  ;  and  that  their 
houses  are  built  of  mud  or  reeds,  and  situated  near  streams 
of  water. 

The  cities  founded  by  Yaldivia  (of  which  Imperial  was 
the  finest),  with  the  exception  of  the  one  bearing  his 
name,  have  been  for  more  than  two  centuries  an  undis- 
tinguishable  mass  of  ruins.  Yaldivia,  built  upon  a  river 
of  the  same  name,  eight  miles  from  the  sea,  is  now  a  Ger- 
man colony  under  the  auspices  of  the  Chilian  government, 
and  although  the  colonists  are  provided  with  arms  for  de- 
fense, the  Indians  occasionally  rush  in  and  lay  the  whole  city 
under  contribution.  It  is  said  that  they  can  bring  ten 
thousand  warriors  into  the  field,  and  being  most  expert 
riders,  they  generally  fight  on  horseback.  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries are  scattered  among  the  savages  along  the  coast, 
but  they  make  but  little  progress. 


TERROR   OF   THE   CHILENOS.  155 

Mention  the  Araucanians  to  a  Chileno  at  this  day  and 
be  will  turn  pale ;  and  I  was  informed  that  the  govern- 
ment gave  them  a  large  subsidy  to  keep  the  peace. 

A  niece  of  a  well  known  family  in  Valparaiso,  some 
years  since,  started  down  the  coast  for  Valdivia  in  an  old, 
crazy  vessel,  much  against  the  wishes  of  her  friends.  The 
vessel  was  wrecked — she  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  In- 
dians, and  is  the  wife  now  of  one  of  their  chiefs.  One 
thousand  gold  ounces  has  been  offered  by  the  Chili  gov- 
ernment as  her  ransom,  but  they  refused  to  give  her  up 
at  any  price. 

President  Montt,  the  present  Executive,  was  making  a 
tour  in  the  south  of  Chili,  and  sent  word  for  one  of  their 
caciques  to  come  and  see  him.  "  Tell  Montt,"  he  re- 
plied, "  if  he  wants  to  see  me,  to  come  where  I  am,'' — 
showing  that  the  proud  spirit  of  the  great  Caupolican  is 
not  yet  extinct  in  that  people. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Our  voyage  to  Boston  was  not  marked  by  any  other 
than  the  usual  events  of  voyages  by  the  Cape  Horn  route. 
We  set  sail  from  the  Bay  of  Talcahuano,  on  the  23d  of 
February.  On  the  3d  of  March,  a  strong  gale  commenced 
blowing,  with  occasional  squalls  of  snow,  and  during  a 
storm  of  two  days,  we  learned  how  angry  a  Pacific  ocean 
may  become.  By  the  7th,  we  were  seventy-seven  miles 
south  of  Cape  Horn,  and  after  a  calm  of  six  hours,  our 
ship  headed  homeward  with  a  fair  strong  wind,  making  for 
several  days,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  every 
twenty-four  hours.  The  weather  was  cold  and  disagreea- 
ble ;  and  to  this  I  had  the  added  horrors  of  sea-sickness. 

We  saw  the  albatross,  and  the  Cape  Pigeon,  and  as  we 
entered  warmer  latitudes,  flying-fish  began  to  make  their 
appearance ;  and  stormy-petrels  flashed  eagerly  around  the 
ship,  and  fed  on  the  bits  of  pork  thrown  to  them. 

On  Sunday  morning,  while  we  were  at  breakfast,  the 
man  at  the  wheel  gave  an  alarm  of  sharks,  and  we  hurried 


SHARKS — LIFE  IN  A  CALM.  157 

to  the  deck.  In  the  water  about  the  stern,  some  thirty  of 
these  hideous  monsters  were  plajing.  They  were  from 
three  to  seven  feet  in  length,  with  smooth  backs  of  dark 
green  color,  and  white  bellies.  A  shark-hook  was  quickly 
baited  with  a  pound  or  two  of  pork,  and  thrown  over, 
when  one  of  the  largest  sharks  seized  it.  He  was  dragged 
on  board  by  the  sailors,  and  was  duly  tormented  by  his  im- 
placable enemies. 

As  we  approched  the  equator,  the  fine  winds  which  had" 
wafted  us  so  far,  died  away,  and  in  one  week  we  only 
made  one  hundred  and  seventeen  miles.  The  indolent, 
careless  life  of  the  calm  was  pleasant  enough.  "We  brought 
our  books  and  work  to  the  deck,  and  under  an  awning 
which  had  been  put  up  to  screen  us  from  the  sun,  watched 
the  sailors  painting  and  repairing  the  rigging.  The  demon 
of  sea-sickness  was  laid  for  the  time.  Sky  above  and  sea 
below  were  deliciously  blue  ;  the  slow  sun  rose  and  sank ; 
the  moon  nightly  poured  her  light  upon  the  smooth  and 
silent  ocean,  while  the  sailors  sang  their  songs,  and  talked 
of  every  land.  We  ate  and  slept ;  we  lived  in  our  little 
lazy  city  of  wooden  walls,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  toil 
and  turmoil  of  the  great  worlds  to  the  east  and  west. 

One  night,  when   we  were  within  three   miles  of  the 


158  LAND  !    AND    HOxME. 

equator,  I  was  awakened  bj  the  sound  of  the  ship  rushing 
through  the  water.  A  fair  wind  was  blowing,  and  we 
were  once  more  in  flight  for  home. 

Every  night  we  examined  the  chart  to  see  how  rapidly 
the  distance  between  us  and  home  decreased,  and  grew 
more  impatient  as  we  drew  nearer  to  our  native  land.  In 
the  gulf  stream  we  had  one  rough  day,  but  after  that, 
our  progress  was  rapid  and  almost  direct. 
•  Ho,  for  land  !  When  seventy-six  days  out,  the  Captain 
announced  that  on  the  morrow  at  two,  we  should  see  Cape 
Cod.  That  day  the  sun  rose  brightly ;  the  wind  blew 
fresh  and  free,  and  our  ship  carried  every  stitch  of  canvas 
her  masts  would  bear. 

As  the  hour  of  two  approached,  all  eyes  were  turned  in 
eager  expectation.  "  Land  ho !  Land  ho !  "  shouts  the 
lookout  from  aloft.  "  Land  ho  !  "  echoes  the  Captain,  and 
all  who  can,  mount  the  rigging. 

It  is  not  long  before  my  unpractised  eyes  distinguish 
the  sandy  hills  of  Cape  Cod,  and  my  heart  leaps  with  a 
joyful  rapture  to  behold  my  native  land  once  more. 

At  eight  o'clock  we  enter  Boston  Harbor,  and  in  fifteen 
minutes,  a  pilot  takes  us  up  the  channel. 


f-^ 


-*^.. 


> 


<r'^' 


/ 


ry  r    C    ( 


Ac ^  7 


J 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Travel 

F3063 

.M57 


*■■»• 


^!^!o<s;ol;y;;'  I- 


ii« 


11 


mmm 


'mm^ 


•*;*■*  •»  <(  -It  1«  ,t' 


